What Is Advent? A Devotional Guide for the Season of Advent
What Is Advent?
For Worship Guide — click HERE
This Sunday, Grace and Peace Church, along with churches all over the world, will enter into the season known as Advent. The word “advent” literally means “the arrival.” In Christian tradition, the season focuses specifically on the arrival of Jesus, The Messiah. During this season, Christians use the four weeks leading up to Christmas as a time to prepare and anticipate the birth of Jesus. Each of the four weeks focuses on a unique theme. While these themes vary a bit depending on the particular tradition or denomination, Grace and Peace Church, as part of the Church of the Nazarene, focuses on Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. The mood of Advent is best expressed as one of longing for deliverance from oppression, coupled with anticipation of the Messiah -- a season of prayer, of anticipation, and allowing that anticipation to shape and orient us toward Christ.
Advent is just as much about looking back as it is about looking forward. While we celebrate Christ’s birth, we also look ahead to his promised return. Like the people of ancient Israel, we too await the arrival of Jesus in all His glory, bringing in the fullness of His Kingdom – His justice, grace, love, and mercy. During this season, we allow our imaginations to become fully immersed in the narratives of scripture as we wait with anticipation for God to faithfully fulfill His word. As the stories take hold of our hearts and minds, we begin to see our very lives transformed.
”Advent is just as much about looking back as it is about looking forward.”
An Advent Invitation
As a way of entering into this season as a community, we’ll be starting a brand new sermon series called Showing Up. Throughout this series we’ll be looking in scripture at the various ways God and his people Showed Up in various ways leading up to Christ’s birth. God showed up in fulfilling his promise. Joseph showed up in remaining with Mary despite her inexplicable pregnancy. The Angel showed up to the Shepherds. We will also be using this season to focus on the various ways we can show up by highlighting many of the various missions trips and programs we have supported and continue support through the year. We invite you to join us in our services as well as listen along to our podcast.
To help us step in further, we will also provide a worship guide for each week. Advent is not meant to be celebrated alone, but as part of a community. As such, we will be using our online presence (website and social media) to provide resources, info, scriptures, and ways to engage in the season in the hope of seeing God do powerful and amazing things as we lean in together. Each week, we will send out a blog post focusing on that week’s theme. The post will include short, daily scripture readings, some ideas to meditate on, and a few suggested action steps. On our social media, we will also include resources. If you haven’t yet, go ahead and follow us on our various platforms so as not to miss out! These guides are by no means mandatory, but again, an invitation to step into the season together as a community with intentionality and mindfulness as we anticipate the coming of Jesus, together!
You can download your own printable copy of this week’s Worship Guide by clicking HERE.
We’ll release the next worship guide each week in the form of a blog post and downloadable PDF file as well. If you’re not already, be sure to sign up for our email list as well as follow us on Facebook and Instagram to be sure not to miss a week. Also, be sure to follow our Podcast to hear hear our Advent sermon series.
We trust that this season will be a fruitful time of seeking and growing in Christ together.
Continue reading to learn more about some of the history and traditions associated with the season of Advent.
Advent Candles
The four themes of Advent are recognized by the lighting of candles arranged around garlands of evergreen in what is known as the Advent Wreath which is a significant part of the Advent tradition. Each candle on the Advent Wreath not only represents it’s given theme, but is even given its own name. The first candle represents Hope and is called the Prophet’s Candle. The second candle, representing Peace, is called the Bethlehem Candle. Third, for the theme of Joy, The Shepherd’s Candle, and finally, for the theme of Love, the Angel’s Candle. At the center of the wreath is the Christ Candle.
For each Sunday in Advent, we light a new candle representing the new theme, as well as all the candles that came before. So for the first week, we light one candle for the theme of Hope. The following Sunday, we light two candles, and so forth. Finally, on Christmas Day (or Christmas Eve), light all four candles plus the Christ Candle. Traditionally, three of the candles are colored violet, which represents royalty and sovereignty. The third candle is traditionally rose colored as rose is a color associated with joy, hence the candle for the theme of joy. Finally, the Christ candle is typically white, representing Christ’s purity and light. The garlands of evergreen symbolize the hope of eternal life that God ushered in through Jesus. In reality, though, the colors and symbols are not a mandate — candles of any size and color are perfectly adequate for an Advent Wreath!
The Liturgical Calendar — Worship All Year Long!
Many of us associate the late fall and early winter seasons with holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, there are many other seasons and celebrations, not only during the winter season, but throughout the year as part of what is known as the Liturgical Calendar. While that may sound like a fancy church word, all liturgy means is “a form or order to which religious worship is conducted.” Put simply, liturgy is a way of mindfully and intentionally ordering various aspects of worship, whether it’s communion, music, the sermon, or a worship service as a whole. Every church has its own way of ordering a worship service. The Liturgical Calendar is simply a way of applying that idea of order and intentionality to the very way we mark the passage of time! It’s not about being rigid or legalistic. It is about seeking Christ in all areas of our lives and placing Him at the very center. In this calendar, which goes on throughout the year, Advent is the very first season – essentially the mark of a brand new year!
While the holiday season is certainly one of joy, for many it as also associated with anxiety, family drama, even depression. We scramble to buy gifts. We spend beyond our limits. We deal with the brokenness in our lives, families, and communities. It can all feel very overwhelming. It can all feel very forced. Be real – have you ever entered into the Christmas season and just thought, “Oh please… can we just put it off for a few months? Or just skip it all together!?” Advent allows us to momentarily step out of all that stress and negativity and into a deeper awareness of God’s presence and the ongoing work of His kingdom. Instead of our seasons being dictated by school calendars, sports teams, vacation time, or even the earth and sun, the liturgical calendar boldly places Christ at the very center of our entire year.
Advent is not a mandate, but an invitation, to truly allow Christ to shape us and mold us into the people of his kingdom. We invite you to continue the journey with us!