The Advent of Christmas: Week 1

The Christmas Season has arrived once again with the advent of Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales. This year they seemed extended even more days before and after Thanksgiving.

Advent means something is approaching and will eventually arrive, or make an appearance. We can add meaning to this Season by purposefully giving ourselves a spiritual focus four weeks before celebrating Jesus Christ's arrival as a baby in Bethlehem.

I did not grow up in a church that celebrated Advent. I was in my late twenties when I attended a Greater Los Angeles Sunday School Convention and chose that session out of curiosity. I must say that after learning about it, I felt a little cheated.

It wasn't that our church didn't celebrate Christmas. We always had choir cantatas and children's programs and plays put on by the young people. But our Christmas focus was usually just the week before Christmas, and then it was over.

As I remained in ministry, it was my joy to help churches celebrate Advent whenever I had an opportunity. It seems such a simple thing to do. The Advent wreath holds four candles on the outside ring, and one candle in the middle, The Christ Candle.

How you celebrate Advent is up to you. The types and colors of candles can vary. Some people use a circular wreath. Others set four candles in a row and do not add the Christ candle. I always chose four red plus a white candle in the center. Don't lose your focus! It's not the candles, but Christ's birth that we are celebrating.

One candle is lit each week and there are Advent Devotionals to help guide your thoughts. I checked several devotionals online and this week's word is a favorite of mine . . . every day, not just Christmas.

HOPE! Where would we be without it?

Here's my favorite scripture on HOPE: Lamentations 3:22-24 NKJV*

Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I HOPE in Him." 

Photo by Theo Crazzolara on Pixabay

*NKJV: The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.