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Christmas and Advent

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  • Christmas and Advent

    I got a little taste of Advent when our Church was sharing our building with the Lutheran congregation. I saw their decorations, and shared in some of the discussions concerning Advent.

    Having grown up Independent Baptist, and spending most of my time as a Southern Baptist, we simply never "did" Advent.

    I'm thinking, for the 4 Sundays in December leading up to Christmas, I'd like to focus on Advent-ish stuff.

    This is NOT a debate thread, so please don't argue whether Advent is or is not a good thing, or whatever.

    I'm simply asking those of you who have experience with Advent to share your thoughts and ideas. What does Advent mean to you? How do you observe it, etc?
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

  • #2
    We used to celebrate it in the Baptist church we were attending.

    There are several different ways to do it. We had a round candle holder that held 4 candles, surrounded by greenery, and a separate candle in the centre. The first Sunday a family would come up and light one of the candles and give a reading on the meaning of that candle. The next Sunday another family would light the first candle and the second one, and so on for the 4 Sundays.

    On Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, depending on when a service was held, the 4 candles were lit, as well as the centre candle, the Christ Child candle, to indicate that Christ had been born.

    The candles are usually 3 purple and 1 pink one, and then the Christ Child candle is white. The candles represent different things, depending on the liturgy used, I guess.

    There are reasons for the different colours that I can't remember.

    There's lots of info online. Most of it very Catholic. Here's what the advent wreath looks like.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath

    We never minded the procedure, but it didn't mean that much to us.


    Securely anchored to the Rock amid every storm of trial, testing or tribulation.

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    • #3
      I grew up in a church that celebrated Advent. I missed not celebrating it when I was in churches that didn't do anything for church seasons. There is something to preparing for an event. Getting your mind more on the spiritual aspects of the season.
      "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

      "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by mossrose View Post
        We used to celebrate it in the Baptist church we were attending.

        There are several different ways to do it. We had a round candle holder that held 4 candles, surrounded by greenery, and a separate candle in the centre. The first Sunday a family would come up and light one of the candles and give a reading on the meaning of that candle. The next Sunday another family would light the first candle and the second one, and so on for the 4 Sundays.

        On Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, depending on when a service was held, the 4 candles were lit, as well as the centre candle, the Christ Child candle, to indicate that Christ had been born.

        The candles are usually 3 purple and 1 pink one, and then the Christ Child candle is white. The candles represent different things, depending on the liturgy used, I guess.

        There are reasons for the different colours that I can't remember.

        There's lots of info online. Most of it very Catholic. Here's what the advent wreath looks like.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath

        We never minded the procedure, but it didn't mean that much to us.
        I'm imagining it not being so much the "center" (centre?) of the service, but incorporated as "this is why they do this", and utilizing the main points.

        Or something.

        It's still cooking around in my head.
        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post
          I grew up in a church that celebrated Advent. I missed not celebrating it when I was in churches that didn't do anything for church seasons. There is something to preparing for an event. Getting your mind more on the spiritual aspects of the season.
          Yeah, something like that. Not just, "oh, by the way, next Sunday is Christmas Sunday!"
          The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

          Comment


          • #6
            Here are some ideas from a Reformed pastor that are pretty close to what we did.

            https://www.reformedworship.org/arti...-advent-wreath


            Securely anchored to the Rock amid every storm of trial, testing or tribulation.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by mossrose View Post
              Here are some ideas from a Reformed pastor that are pretty close to what we did.

              https://www.reformedworship.org/arti...-advent-wreath
              I always wonder what those pastors did that was so bad they had to reform.




              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                I always wonder what those pastors did that was so bad they had to reform.







                Securely anchored to the Rock amid every storm of trial, testing or tribulation.

                Comment


                • #9
                  The East seems to have developed its Advent traditions completely separately from the West (apparently Rome first celebrated the Nativity on December 25th, while the East first celebrated the Nativity on January 6th along with the baptism of Jesus by John; in the fourth century, the East started celebrating the Nativity on Dec. 25th and the West started celebrating Epiphany on Jan. 6). I never grew up doing stuff for Advent, so I don't know much about how the West does it. In the East, aside from fasting from meat and dairy for 40 days leading up to the feast, we commemorate the Old Testament forefathers on the 2nd Sunday before Christmas (i.e., the messianic promise in Gen. 3:15, the Abrahamic promise, etc.), and the prophets on the Sunday before Christmas (especially Daniel for his prophecy of when Messiah would come); on the Sunday after Christmas we commemorate David, Joseph, and James.
                  Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

                  Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
                  sigpic
                  I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                    Yeah, something like that. Not just, "oh, by the way, next Sunday is Christmas Sunday!"
                    Off topic but I always appreciate a church that does a strong Lenten preparation. Easter is the most important Christian holyday and should be "oh, by the way, next Sunday is Easter."
                    "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

                    "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post
                      Off topic but I always appreciate a church that does a strong Lenten preparation. Easter is the most important Christian holyday and should be "oh, by the way, next Sunday is Easter."
                      Good point.
                      The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by mossrose View Post
                        We used to celebrate it in the Baptist church we were attending.

                        There are several different ways to do it. We had a round candle holder that held 4 candles, surrounded by greenery, and a separate candle in the centre. The first Sunday a family would come up and light one of the candles and give a reading on the meaning of that candle. The next Sunday another family would light the first candle and the second one, and so on for the 4 Sundays.

                        On Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, depending on when a service was held, the 4 candles were lit, as well as the centre candle, the Christ Child candle, to indicate that Christ had been born.

                        The candles are usually 3 purple and 1 pink one, and then the Christ Child candle is white. The candles represent different things, depending on the liturgy used, I guess.

                        There are reasons for the different colours that I can't remember.

                        There's lots of info online. Most of it very Catholic. Here's what the advent wreath looks like.

                        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath

                        We never minded the procedure, but it didn't mean that much to us.
                        The church we attend now is Southern Baptist, and this is what we do for Advent. No other Baptist church I've attended has done anything for Advent.
                        Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Advent is, obviously, the opening act of the Incarnation. I think Christians tend to miss the significance and wonder of God coming close - so close that He incarnates as a man. One point I would emphasis is God coming close.

                          Of course, the Incarnation is necessary so the Crucifixion, Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ Jesus may occur. Reflecting on Advent should eventually led to thinking on Salvation and how much God has done for us.

                          My Advent Hymn is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." It summarizes the season for me.
                          "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

                          "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post
                            Advent is, obviously, the opening act of the Incarnation.
                            I dunno - that's arguably the Annunciation (though Orthodox hymnwriters have a tendency to see it even further back, in the conception of Mary).
                            My Advent Hymn is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." It summarizes the season for me.
                            I've always loved that one.
                            Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

                            Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
                            sigpic
                            I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              In my churches (I pastor two now!), we use the Advent candles - it's a good way to visualize, week by week, the progress toward the brightness of Christmas (and is especially fitting with a candlelight Christmas Eve service on top of it all).

                              In addition, I generally select hymns that are fitting to the season. In the past couple years, I was very strict on reserving Christmas hymns until after the conclusion of Advent, and sticking with Advent hymns ("Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus," "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Light of Those Whose Dreary Dwelling," etc.) and others fitting the material of the day. This year, because we're doing Advent a little differently, there'll be plenty Christmas music during the Advent season.

                              And, of course, each year we have a sermon series fitting Advent, to mark it off from the remainder of the church year. In 2014, I was preaching through Isaiah at the time and arranged it so that Advent covered Isaiah 8-12 (*, *, *). In 2015, I surveyed narratives of significant biblical nativities before Christ (Cain, Abel, Seth, Noah, Isaac, Moses, Samuel, John the Baptist) with an eye toward how they point forward to the Nativity of Christ. In 2016, I organized an Advent series around the biography of St. Nicholas of Myra (*, *, *, *) and the lessons he teaches us about how to appropriately serve Jesus. This year, I'm preparing a longer series that will cover Advent, Christmas, and most of Epiphanytide by focusing in on various figures in the Gospel nativity accounts (Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, prophets, wise men, and Herod). Next year... eh, I've got some ideas rattling around.
                              "The Jesus Christ who saves sinners is the same Christ who beckons his followers to serious use of their minds for serious explorations of the world." - Mark Noll

                              "It cannot be that the people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading." - John Wesley

                              "Wherever men are still theological, there is still some chance of their being logical." - G. K. Chesterton

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