Christmas Advent
Wow… it’s crazy to think that Christmas is already here! It's time to roll in the season’s greetings, decorations, and good ol’ Christmas carols that we all know and love! But as we enter this season, we want to remember the true meaning behind it all. So this month we are going to take on a series based on the tradition of the Christmas Advent Wreath.
What is the Christmas Advent Wreath?
![[1]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5558c944e4b0c9f33197acd1/1449251123079-VBTZIGUMC6SMXWLG7GKO/advent-candles.jpg)
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As you can see, the Christmas Advent Wreath has evergreen branches intertwined, usually to form a circle with five candles - three purple, one pink, and one white. While simplistic in design, the Christmas Advent Wreath is rich with meaning.
This Christian tradition runs on the four weeks of Advent. During the season of Advent, one candle is lit each Sunday until all candles are lit on Christmas day.
So... How does this relate to worship?
Well…
“As it was with the shepherds and angels, Christmas is about worship before it's about anything else: falling on our knees, falling flat on our faces, adoring the brilliance of this God who comes to us as a baby, lying in a feed trough, breathing with other animals, wrapped tightly against the cold and the anxiety of leaving his mother's womb.” – Rev. Kenneth Tanner
Simply put, the Christmas Advent Wreath is a reminder of the greatness of God’s love through the birth of Christ. Christmas reminds us of the claim that God has on our lives. Christmas is a time of worship. Christmas calls for worship.
So this next month, we have four discussions based on the Christmas Advent Wreath Tradition:
Hope (Candle One)
Peace (Candle Two)
Joy (Candle Three) - Guest Writer Frank Gali, CF Miami Worship Pastor
Love (Candles Four & Five)
Although we are not technically following the actual "Advent Calendar" (The first week of Advent started Sunday, November 29th), we will still be discussing the rich meaning and symbolism behind the individual candles of the Christmas Advent Wreath. All the while, we will be discussing how the given topic calls for worship.
We are praying that everyone will be able to grow in their personal walks with Christ and acts of worship throughout the course of this series. May you all have a very Merry Christmas!
God Bless!
The Worship Exposed Team
[1] Advent Wreath. Digital image. Duna Cerman. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. <https://duniacermin.wordpress.com/tag/adven/>.