by Pastor Tony

Advent is the liturgical season that begins the new church year. We celebrate Advent for four consecutive Sundays, starting with the Sunday closest to November 30. The word "advent" is from the Latin adventus, which means "coming" or "arrival." In the days of the Roman empire, adventus referred to the arrival of a person of dignity and great power -- a king, or even the emperor. For Christians, Advent has a triple meaning: 1) We celebrate the past Advent, when God came to us in the flesh, in the person of Jesus, as a baby born in humble circumstances. 2) We celebrate the current Advent, as Jesus comes to us in Word and Sacrament for the forgiveness of our sins. 3) We prepare and patiently wait for the future Advent, when Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will return in glory on Judgment Day.

What is the Liturgical Color for Advent?

Purple is the traditional color for Advent, for two main reasons: 1) Purple was the most costly dye in ancient times and was therefore used by kings to indicate their royal status. As used in the church, purple signifies that Christ is our King. 2) Purple also signifies the repentance of God's people as we patiently await the future Advent of Jesus.

In recent years, some churches have adopted blue as the color for Advent. Blue represents hope, expectation, and heaven, and the color has a more joyous connotation.

What is an Advent Wreath?

The Advent wreath is a circle of evergreen branches, set around four candles, that is displayed in churches and sometimes in Christian homes. The evergreen circle represents eternal life that Christ won for all who believe, and the lit candles represent the coming of Christ as the light of the world (John 1:4-9).

Traditionally, three purple candles and one rose-colored or pink candle are used. The purple signifies that Advent is a time of repentance, but the pink candle represents joy. Each Sunday in Advent, a candle is lit, in this order: 1) one purple; 2) two purple; 3) two purple and one pink; 4) all four candles. Thus, the pink candle is reserved for the third Sunday of Advent, called "Gaudete Sunday." Gaudete means "rejoice" in Latin. We rejoice because the Lord is near!

Some Christians also attach a special significance to each of the four Advent candles. The first candle is the Prophet Candle, which symbolizes the hope and anticipation of Christ's coming in the flesh as promised throughout the Old Testament. The second candle is the Bethlehem Candle, which symbolizes the humble manner in which the God-man Jesus was born of a virgin, in the insignificant town of Bethlehem, in poverty, and was laid in a manger. The third candle (pink) is the Shepherds' Candle, which calls to mind the rejoicing of the shepherds when they had seen the Christ-child in the stable. The fourth candle is the Angels' Candle, which reminds us of the heavenly host that announced the good news of our Savior's birth.

In addition to the four Advent candles, some Advent wreaths have a white candle in the center called the Christ candle. If this is present, the Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve and throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas, leading up to the Epiphany.

Why is Advent so Important?

While the world around us swirls in a frantic, stressed-out spiral of shopping, parties, decorating, etc., the church pauses during Advent to consider the wonder of God's mercy and love for us in Jesus Christ. We experience the anticipation of ages past, when the faithful could only wait with humble awe for the arrival of a Redeemer. We attend midweek services, immersing ourselves in Word and Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins, and returning thanks for all God has done, is doing, and will be doing for us in Christ. We also prepare for our Lord's return by exercising the spiritual disciplines of Advent: repenting, praying, reading Scripture, singing seasonal hymns and anthems, and (for some) fasting.

I hope these questions and explanations have helped in some way to make Advent more meaningful to you. May God grant you a sense of reverent awe and wonder as you celebrate the birth of Jesus. May he fill you with a deeper appreciation for Word and Sacrament, the means of grace. And may he increase the sweet joy of anticipation as you wait to be gathered into the arms of your Savior!