A New Church Year Begins
Has anyone ever wished you a happy new year…in late November or early December?
The calendar year may begin on January 1, but for Christians the Christian year begins with the season of Advent – four weeks before Christmas. Advent - The name is derived from a Latin word for “coming.”
Finding Meaning in the Tradition
The season is a time of dual preparation and expectation: for the coming celebration of our Lord’s Nativity, and for the final coming of Christ “in power and glory.”
Advent is the time of dual waiting and preparation.
We recall those who waited and prepared for a promised Christ child: the prophet Isaiah, Mary, his mother, and John the Baptist.
And in the weeks leading up to Christmas we also think about God’s promises that are yet to be revealed under the reign of Christ, in “the age to come” or “the day of the Lord.”
Advent is oriented in both the past and the future.
As we get ready for the birth of Jesus and for the promise that Christ will come again, we use gifts of spiritual preparation: worship, prayer, singing, Bible study, fellowship, and service to others.
Themes for each Sunday
First Sunday: deals with our readiness for divine judgment,
Second Sunday: focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist,
The Sunday: focuses on the John the Baptist’s call to a repentant life
Fourth Sunday: we finally hear a story concerning the birth of Jesus.
The appointed readings each Sunday fit this pattern, and their tone stands in stark contrast to our society’s weeks of preparation for Christmas. Liturgical advice to keep a meaningful Advent without a December-long celebration of Christmas is meant not to be a kill-joy, but to awake our longing for the surprising ways that God comes to us. We mean to be a people who are to know what time it is and are willing to wait for what will come—a people who do not sing Easter hymns during Lent nor Christmas hymns in Advent.
The color associated with Advent is BLUE, suggesting hope. This association originated in Scandinavia, probably because purple dye was too expensive for churches to use. Some assemblies use purple in Advent, a color associated with royalty as the church awaits the newborn king. (note, this is a different meaning than when it is used in Lent).
Questions for Personal Meditation
What am I waiting for?
Who am I waiting for?
How am I preparing?
What gives me joy in this season? What might I discover from that?
Adapted from materials provided by Presbyteiran Chruch in Canada, and Sundays and Seasons worship resource published by Augsburg Fortress Press.
Images from our Liturgical Calendar. You can find it hanging on the wall across from the Conference Room. Check it out!
Page Banner Image: Wolfgang Beyer, Wikipedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0