Third Sunday of Advent: Rejoice!
The third Sunday of Advent marks a shift away from the solemn tone of the previous two Sundays which focus on preparation and hope, to a more joyous atmosphere of anticipation and expectancy. The candle we light on the Advent wreath is pink, reminding us that our waiting is almost over and we can hardly… Read more »
Second Sunday of Advent: Prepare the Way of the Lord
On the Second Sunday of Advent we lit the second candle on the Advent Wreath, the candle of Preparation, and read these verses from the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark: The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will… Read more »
First Sunday of Advent: Prophesy, Longing, and Hope
If Advent is a season characterized by waiting, for what and for whom are we waiting? Whose arrival are we anticipating? What is it that we wish for and yearn for? What is our hope pinned on? The first Sunday of Advent focuses us on prophesies of God’s coming kingdom as well as our hope… Read more »
Advent is a season of the Christian liturgical year, which means that there are specific scripture readings and themes taught on each of the four Sundays of Advent (mostly in the more liturgical Christian traditions, i.e.: Catholic, Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and others who use the Common Lectionary, a collection of scripture readings appointed… Read more »
Did any of you grow up with “Advent calendars”—you know, where every day you open a pop-out door to get a nugget of candy—to count down the days until Christmas? Our Advent calendars were definitely one of my favorite parts of the holiday season when I was growing up. As a kid, I was just… Read more »