Advent is the time before the celebration of Christmas. Some traditions calculate the beginning of Advent as the Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s Day (November 30). Others count back four Sundays before December 25th, and that Sunday begins the Advent Season. By any calculations this year is the earliest date Advent can start, November 27.
Whether you follow the Christian Year or not, the weeks before Christmas are a time of waiting and readiness. The Season of Advent is a corporate journey getting ready for Christmas with all the decorations and baking and purchasing presents. We see the activity all around us as we wait for December 25 to arrive. All this activity is meant to intensify the joy of the Christmas Season.
There are traditional Words of Advent that go along with the season. In many churches and homes a candle is lit each week, often in an Advent wreath or circle. The words Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are the traditional names of each candle. The thematic words associated with each of the 4 Sundays in Advent are Watch, Prepare, Rejoice, and Behold.
“Endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.” (Romans 5:4-5) No matter the circumstances of life Advent calls us to live in hope, the hopefulness of the Christmas season.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:15) The message of the Christmas angels is one of peace among men. The Advent candle of peace directs us to the Babe of Bethlehem who brings peace through an encounter with the living God.
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22) The third candle of Advent is traditionally a pink colour to indicate the anticipated joy of Christmas in the Christ Child who has come to heal our wounded lives.
“Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) As Christmas nears, we anticipate the love which comes to us, and which fills us with love for one another.
“Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and care of this life.” (Luke 21:34) In the Advent season we are called to watch carefully how we live our lives so that the time of Christ’s coming can be a meaningful eternal event.
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:3) There is much to prepare in the weeks of Advent for the celebration of the coming of the Christ Child.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he.” (Zechariah 9:9) All the busyness of Advent needs to be kept in the perspective that we are entering into a season of rejoicing at Christmas. Don’t get consumed by the hustle and bustle of things that the real meaning gets lost in the shuffle.
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” (Matthew 1:23) The culmination of Advent is the coming of the Saviour. Behold, his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Whatever situations you find yourself in, the lights of Advent call to you of hope, peace, love, and joy. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John1:4-5,14)
Have a blessed Advent in your watching, preparing, rejoicing, and beholding!
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to wordwisdom2021@gmail.com . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
