The Meaning of Advent
Some would say this is the best time of the year! Christmas cookies and TV specials abound. But for Christians, Advent and Christmas means something more. Advent is the time in the Christian Calendar preceding Christmas. There are 4 weeks of Advent and then the 5th week is Christmas. The word “advent” literally means “the arrival of an important person, thing or event”, in this case, the birth of Jesus Christ.
According to Robert Webber, there are actually three advents we are celebrating: “the Advent of Christ's physical birth in Bethlehem, the Advent of Christ coming into our own lives, and the Advent of his second coming at the end of history.” We obviously know about the advent of Christ’s physical birth, but what about the other two?
Christmas is more than just a celebration of Jesus being born, it is a realization that by being born he entered into our lives and is still entering people’s lives today! This is a true reason to celebrate.
The last Advent, the second coming, is not one I usually think about during Advent. But in fact, through the birth of Jesus, we were given hope a hope that in the end of time evil will be defeated and Christ will rule. Webber says “What the second coming says to us is that the evil of this world is doomed. It will be judged and burned by fire because God in Christ has already dealt a decisive blow to the powers of evil. God has dethroned these powers and taken away their ability to have ultimate control over history and over our lives (Col. 2:15).” So through the birth of Jesus, we have a hope for the future that cannot be shaken. This is especially helpful to the world now that is dealing with so much evil and death. We can celebrate in the midst of tragedy because God will come again.
So, during this season of Advent, concentrate on not just the physical birth of Christ, but also the wonderful fact that he came into our lives, is still working, and will come again to restore us to Him. The story of Christmas is more than just a babe in a manger, it is the continuing story of Christ and the world.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
The Innkeeper
The Innkeeper
The story of Christ’s birth is one we’ve heard a million times. There were shepherds, angels, wise men, and an innkeeper who said there was “no room.” The Innkeeper is what I want to focus on today.
This guy is running an inn and is filled to capacity so by the time Jesus needs a place to be born, there’s no space left. Mary and Joseph are sent to the stable. Now I know we glorify the stable and the manger and make it look like this super comfy place but in reality it probably stunk like crazy and it was not clean at all.
My point here is that when we allow our hearts and lives to become so cluttered with the things of this world, we are actually blocking him from our lives. We banish him to the stinky stable and ask him to stay there instead of having a prominent place in our lives. I’m sure if the Innkeeper had realized who he was talking to, he would not have turned them away. He probably would have thrown some people out just to make room.
Is there room in your life for Christ today? Does he have a room fitting for the King of Kings or are you asking him to stay in the background in the stinky stable. In order to be the followers of Christ we need to be, we need to empty our lives of the things that are keeping Christ from entering in. The things that cause us to have guilt and shame. The things that we willingly do knowing they are not of God or will not bring us closer to God. This week, think about those things that are taking space away from Christ in your life and empty yourself so that you can be re-filled with Him.
The story of Christ’s birth is one we’ve heard a million times. There were shepherds, angels, wise men, and an innkeeper who said there was “no room.” The Innkeeper is what I want to focus on today.
This guy is running an inn and is filled to capacity so by the time Jesus needs a place to be born, there’s no space left. Mary and Joseph are sent to the stable. Now I know we glorify the stable and the manger and make it look like this super comfy place but in reality it probably stunk like crazy and it was not clean at all.
My point here is that when we allow our hearts and lives to become so cluttered with the things of this world, we are actually blocking him from our lives. We banish him to the stinky stable and ask him to stay there instead of having a prominent place in our lives. I’m sure if the Innkeeper had realized who he was talking to, he would not have turned them away. He probably would have thrown some people out just to make room.
Is there room in your life for Christ today? Does he have a room fitting for the King of Kings or are you asking him to stay in the background in the stinky stable. In order to be the followers of Christ we need to be, we need to empty our lives of the things that are keeping Christ from entering in. The things that cause us to have guilt and shame. The things that we willingly do knowing they are not of God or will not bring us closer to God. This week, think about those things that are taking space away from Christ in your life and empty yourself so that you can be re-filled with Him.
The Meaning Behind the Advent Candles
The Meaning Behind the Advent Candles
You may have noticed that around Christmas time, a wreath with candles appears on a stand in front of the church. Every Sunday during Advent there is a reading and a candle is lit. Unfortunately, this has become a tradition that is faithfully carried out but the meaning behind it is lost. Why do we light the candles at Advent?
The tradition of the wreath goes back to the 16th century when it was used by German Lutherans. The person credited with popularizing the wreath is Johann Hinrich Wichern who was a pastor in Germany in the 19th century. It remained a popular custom in Germany and began to be used in both Protestant and Catholic Services. The tradition is supposed not to have come to the United States until the 1930’s.
There is a lot of symbolism contained in the wreath. The wreath itself, being a perfect circle, represents God’s eternal reign. He is the Alpha and the Omega and a circle also has no beginning or end. Depending on what church you attend, you will slight variations in the color of the candles. Out church uses 3 purple candles and one pink candle. The pink candle is lit on the 3rd Sunday and represents joy.
The center candle (The Christ Candle) is white to represent the purity of Christ. Another symbol is that of light entering the world. We start advent with no candles lit and each week we add more and more light. This is to represent the light of the world coming down to earth and ending the darkness.
My hope is that now that you know the background, you will have a greater appreciation for this tradition. The Advent season is almost over now but this Sunday as you look at the wreath and hear the readings, this of God’s power as the Alpha and the Omega and how he chose to use that power to save us.
Sources:
http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-do-the-candles-in-our-advent-wreath-mean
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath
You may have noticed that around Christmas time, a wreath with candles appears on a stand in front of the church. Every Sunday during Advent there is a reading and a candle is lit. Unfortunately, this has become a tradition that is faithfully carried out but the meaning behind it is lost. Why do we light the candles at Advent?
The tradition of the wreath goes back to the 16th century when it was used by German Lutherans. The person credited with popularizing the wreath is Johann Hinrich Wichern who was a pastor in Germany in the 19th century. It remained a popular custom in Germany and began to be used in both Protestant and Catholic Services. The tradition is supposed not to have come to the United States until the 1930’s.
There is a lot of symbolism contained in the wreath. The wreath itself, being a perfect circle, represents God’s eternal reign. He is the Alpha and the Omega and a circle also has no beginning or end. Depending on what church you attend, you will slight variations in the color of the candles. Out church uses 3 purple candles and one pink candle. The pink candle is lit on the 3rd Sunday and represents joy.
The center candle (The Christ Candle) is white to represent the purity of Christ. Another symbol is that of light entering the world. We start advent with no candles lit and each week we add more and more light. This is to represent the light of the world coming down to earth and ending the darkness.
My hope is that now that you know the background, you will have a greater appreciation for this tradition. The Advent season is almost over now but this Sunday as you look at the wreath and hear the readings, this of God’s power as the Alpha and the Omega and how he chose to use that power to save us.
Sources:
http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-do-the-candles-in-our-advent-wreath-mean
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath
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