ADVENT WEEK 1 - Nov 29
ADVENT WEEK 2 - Dec 6
ADVENT WEEK 3 - Dec 13
ADVENT WEEK 4 - Dec 20
CHRISTMAS TIDE - Dec 25 - Jan 5
THE MEANING OF ADVENT
The year 2020 is coming to an end. It was and still is a tumultuous year. The year feels like wave after wave of crisis, disruptions, and anxious moments. We are in the season of fall and winter, and the hours of daylight are getting shorter as nighttime is getting longer. As we live through 2020, it feels like there is less hope and more anxiety. That is why we need Christmas.
Christmas is the tipping point in this bleak and dark year of 2020. Jesus’ birth was the tipping point of humanity. We cannot save ourselves, so God “became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” (John 1:14 Message Version) Jesus came to establish the Kingdom of God in and around us. Jesus came to give us life, life abundantly. After Christmas, the days will become longer and the nights shorter. So we hope and wait for Christmas to come.
The Advent celebration tradition is an ancient church tradition to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Advent means arrival or the coming of something. Advent is like sitting in an airplane, waiting and traveling to get to someplace. Advent is a 4-week spiritual journey to Christmas, to the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We “travel” each Sunday closer and closer to Christmas. Each Sunday there is a revelation from the Holy Scripture about Christmas, the birth of the Savior.
We begin our journey of Advent with the prophets prophesying the Messiah’s birth 700 years before Jesus was born. Then we travel closer to Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the place of Jesus’ birth. Next, we visit the shepherds, and they discover the story of Christmas. Finally, in the last week of Advent, we witness the proclamation of the Angels. We end Advent with the climax of Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day.
REVELATION AS CANDLELIGHT
Each Sunday of Advent we read a scripture that reveals to us who the coming Savior is. The more revelation we have, the more light we have. We light a candle to show the light we receive each week. We will light 4 candles to show the 4 weeks of revelation from scripture and the 5th candle is the last candle, which we light on Christmas Day. Jesus coming to earth is the ultimate revelation of God to us. The Word became flesh.
This is the symbolism, the meaning behind the Advent candles. As a church family, we wait with each other in anticipation in this season of Advent! May the hope of our Savior be with you!
ADVENT 2020 CANDLE LIGHTING ORDER
WEEK 1 - PROPHETS
Sunday, Nov 29: Light the 1st candle
WEEK 2 - BETHLEHEM
Sunday, Dec 6: Light the 1st candle and the 2nd candle
WEEK 3 - SHEPHERDS
Sunday, Dec 13: Light the first 2 candles and the 3rd candle
WEEK 4 - ANGELS
Sunday, Dec 20: Light the first 3 candles and the 4th candle
CHRISTMAS DAY
Friday, Dec 25: Light the first 4 candles and the 5th white candle