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Introduction:
What is Advent?
The weeks leading up to Christmas are often filled with activities—office parties, the annual zoo lights visit, perhaps a Christkindlemarket, and shopping, wrapping, and prepping. Weeks before the day arrives, Christmas is felt virtually everywhere you go. It comes and goes in the blink of an eye if we’re not careful.
This season, you’re invited to live with intention as we celebrate Advent—the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Advent means anticipation. It is the season of anticipating Jesus’s birth as well as His second coming. We spend these weeks in the tension of the now and the not yet. The now of God’s Kingdom on earth in the midst of brokenness, and the not yet of when Jesus will come again and finally reconcile and restore all things. As we enter these four weeks, we encourage you to be mindful of this tension we live in and draw close to God.
What to Expect?
Each Sunday of Advent, we will post the following content right here:
- A daily Advent devotional to read yourself or with friends and family.
- An explanation of the candle for the week.
- A prayer to pray as you light the candle for the week.
- Prayer prompts for Monday through Friday of that week.
- An adult craft or recipe to participate in on Saturday.
- And a Spotify playlist to help fill your home with Christmas cheer!
Whether you decide to do all the parts of this experience or just a few here and there, we hope it helps you to slow down, savor the true meaning of the season, and grow closer to the One that calls you by name.
The Advent Wreath
Often, Christians symbolize this season with an Advent wreath. Each candle has meaning and serves as a visible reminder of the season:
- Purple Candle: The first candle of Advent is the Hope candle, which is most often referred to as the Prophecy or Prophet’s candle. This candle reminds us of the prophets in the Old Testament who spoke of the Savior to come.
- Purple Candle: The second candle of Advent is called the Bethlehem candle, and it represents preparation for the coming Messiah. As Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, they possessed great faith in what was to come
- Pink Candle: The third candle of Advent is called the Shepherd’s candle and represents joy. Can you imagine being among the first to hear the news of the Savior’s birth? The joy that leaped in the hearts and poured from the mouths of those Shepherds must have been a sight to see!
- Purple Candle: This fourth week of Advent, we light the Angel Candle that symbolizes peace. Just as the angels sang on the day of Jesus’s birth, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” We, too, acknowledge and celebrate the peace that only comes from God.White Candle: The lone white candle of the Advent wreathe is the Christ Candle and represents the purity of our sinless Savior and the victory we have in Him. This candle is lit on Christmas day. For this candle, we encourage you and all in your household to take turns praying together as you light the candle sharing what you are grateful for on this day of Jesus’s birth.
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