 Joy + Kindness + Light + Love = Salvation
Lighting of the Advent Candle during worship is near and dear to my heart. It’s one of my earliest memories of participating in worship with my family. I noticed that when I went to other churches the words used were sometimes different. The candles were sometimes different colors. Sadly, this was also one of the first times I remember someone saying, “Well they’re doing it wrong.” when they answered my curious question regarding the differences. One major difference this year is starting Advent a week early. Last Sunday St. Luke’s celebrated both Christ the King Sunday and the First Week of Advent. The worship and music team thought it would be better to combine these instead of Advent Four and Christmas Eve, which both fall on December 24 this year. The church calendar was arranged when Christmas Day was the big day. The Season of Advent is the four Sundays prior to Christmas Day. Now with Christmas Eve being the big day, Advent occurs on Christmas Eve about every seven years. The church calendar was created by humans, it is not biblical. What is important to remember is Advent is about prophesy, waiting and preparing for the messiah to arrive. We have been in a time of Advent since Jesus’ ascended into heaven, as we wait for his return. Until then we tell the story every year. So moving Advent up a week made the most sense. I’m grateful for the writer below sharing a bit of the history, including the differences. History and Symbolism of the Advent Wreath by Patrice Fagnant MacArthur Used with permission: Catholic Exchange. First published November 28, 2021. The lights of the candles on the Advent Wreath break through the darkness, reminding us of the Light of Christ that we anticipate during this holy season. Where did this tradition come from, of lighting four candles in an evergreen wreath to mark the weeks preceding Christmas? Like many of our Church traditions, the use of candles in the midst of late fall and winter was originally a pagan tradition. Rev. William Saunders, who wrote an article in the “Arlington Catholic Herald” on this topic, states that “pre-Germanic peoples used wreaths with lit candles during the dark and cold December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended sunlight days of spring.” In a similar vein, Scandinavians “lighted candles [that] were placed around a wheel, and prayers were offered to the god of light to turn the ‘wheel of the earth’ back toward the sun to lengthen the days and restore warmth.” In the middle ages, the Germanic peoples began incorporating a lighted wreath into the Christian season of Advent. It didn’t gain widespread popularity until the 1800s and it wasn’t until the 1900s that German immigrants brought the tradition to America. The Advent Wreath is very symbolic. The evergreens used for the wreath itself are a reminder of continuous life. The shaping of them into a circle reinforces that meaning. The circle is also a sign of everlasting life as well as the eternity of God. Four candles used. Traditionally three purple and one pink, mark the Sundays of Advent before Christmas. The purple candles are reminders that this should be a time of prayer and sacrifice to prepare us for the second coming of Christ. On the third Sunday, the pink candle is lit to announce Gaudete Sunday, a Sunday of rejoicing for Christ is coming near. With the lighting of that candle, the light has won out over the darkness (three candles lit vs. the one that remains unlit). Various meanings have been assigned to the four candles. One interpretation has each candle representing 4000 years, the Biblical time between Adam and Eve and the coming of Christ. In another interpretation, the first candle represents the patriarchs, the second the prophets, the third reminds us of John the Baptist, and the fourth of Mary, the mother of Jesus. They have also been described as the prophets’ candle, the Bethlehem Candle, the shepherds’ candle, and the angels’ candle. A fifth white candle in the center representing Christ can also be used. It is lit on Christmas Eve as a remembrance of Christ coming into the world. Sometimes, all the other candles of the wreath are removed and replaced with white candles on Christmas. The Advent Wreath serves as a powerful visual reminder of the holiness of the season. The light of the candles invite us to quiet ourselves during this busy time and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Whether at home or at Church, it provides an invitation to wait and pray in hopeful anticipation for the coming of Christ. We are called to welcome the light of Christ into our lives. The weekly themes for St. Luke’s Advent Season are Joy, Kindness, Light, Love, and Salvation. The first four are found in the four verses of the Advent hymn, “Awake, Awake, and Greet the New Morn” #242 in the ELW. The Joy of the Lord. The Kindness of Christ. Jesus the Light of the Word. God is Love. Each of these are gifts of God that are expressions of Salvation. These are the gifts we are called to live out which in turn bring Joy, Kindness, Light, Love, and hopefully leading to discovering a life of Salvation in Jesus the Lord to a world that so desperately needs it. So let us embrace our differences. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. – Romans 8:28-29a
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