What is advent?
The word ‘advent’ means coming or arrival. Advent is a season of waiting with eager anticipation for someone or soemthing. The Church obsereves the advent of Chirst during the four Sundays leading up to Christmas day.
Advent was designed to develop rhythms of remembrance and celebration. We remember God’s promise to send a rescuer and longing for that promise to be fulfilled. We celebrate the arrival of Christ and his finished work on the cross and look forward to Christ’s second coming when he will bring final restoration.
Remember & Proclaim
This advent series will build off the verses from the carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Each week we will examine hope, peace, joy, and love. This series is an invitation to slow down and spend time personally reflect on the purpose for Jesus’ birth and promise we cling to for life today and the future. This sereis will explore the need for reconciliation, dwelling with God, light & life with our Savior, and future restoration.
The Waiting Candles
Each Sunday of Advent is heralded with the lighting of a candle. The four candles represent hope, peace, joy, and love. Some advent wreaths include an additional candle to be lit on Christmas Eve to represent the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus.
The first Sunday of advent we light the first candle, hope. We rest in the hope that Jesus brings. We look back to the hope that God gave to the world to send the Messiah who would redeem the world from sin. We look forward with hope that one day Jesus will return and restore everything to its origional Eden state.
The second Sunday of advent represents peace. We light both the hope and peace candle to represent the reconciliation of God and man to each other. Jesus did not come int othe world to condemn the world. He came so tha through him all might know peace.
The third Sunday of advent symbolizes joy. Traditionally joy’s candle is pink standing out against the rest of the candles as a symbol of rejocing. Joy accompanies hope and peace because Jesus came to bring abundant life. We are no longer slaves to sin and darkness.
The fourth Sunday of advent reflects the love of God. God showed his love to the world by sending his only Son to be born, live, die, and rise again so that mankind can have a relationship with Him. We do not deserve this great sacrifice. God saw fit to show compassion to us because of his great love for us.
On Christmas Eve, we light the final candle. This is the only white candle in the middle of the wreath. The last candle represents the light of God who has come into the world. All five candles are lit together to remember that Jesus was born to overcome darkness and usher in salvation. Christ is the only source of hope, peace, joy, and love.
Weekly Reflections
Below are the four weekly Advent themes for the Remember & Proclaim series.
Each will include a reflection and a printable worksheet.
