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Advent Devotion: The Lighting of the First Candle
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, November 30, 2008
Introduction to Advent?
If you’re looking for some basic material on Advent, I have done some extensive writing on the subject. Please check out the following resources:
What is Advent? An Introduction to Advent
My blog series covers the basics of Advent: its meaning, traditions, and spiritual purpose.
Advent Devotional Guide: Preparing for the Coming of Christ
This devotional guide is meant for individuals, families, groups of friends, or worshiping communities. It uses an Advent wreath, and contains Scripture readings, prayers, and basic explanations.
If the whole notion of the Christian or liturgical year, including Advent, is unfamiliar to you, you will find this series helpful.
Discovering Advent: How to Experience the Power of Waiting on God at Christmastime
My new e-book tells the story of my personal discovery of Advent, something Christians have been celebrating for centuries, but which has been a relatively new addition to my life. As I share my story, I explain the meaning, traditions, and purpose of Advent. I suggest ways you can grow closer to God in Advent as you wait upon him. I also deal with specific questions such as: Is Advent biblical? Discovering Advent also includes an Advent Devotional Guide for personal, family, or group worship.
Kindle edition – $2.99 · · · · · · Nook edition – $2.99
Advent Devotion for the First Sunday
This is an excerpt from my Advent Devotional Guide that uses the Advent wreath. If you have a real wreath, you can use it, either alone, or with others. If you don’t have a wreath, follow this guide, and you can “light” the Advent candle for today online. (I originally wrote this guide for families at Irvine Presbyterian Church.)
Introduction to Advent
Advent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping. Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas and ending on Christmas Eve, Advent helps us to prepare for the coming, or “advent” of the Christ child at Christmas. (The word “advent” comes from the Latin word that means “coming.”)
For hundreds of years Christians have used an Advent wreath to inspire their hopes for the coming of Christ. By lighting candles and reading Bible verses, we are reminded about the meaning of Christ’s birth and become more excited about his coming in the past, in the future, and in our own lives.
There is no set meaning for the candles of the Advent wreath (except for the middle candle, which always signifies the birth of Jesus the Christ). Some wreaths use all white candles; others use three purple candles, one pink candle, and one white candle in the middle. The purple candles remind us of how serious and solemn God’s people have been in waiting for the Messiah. The pink signifies the joy of our waiting. The white is triumphant and celebrative because Christ is born.
What follows is a guide for personal worship that can accompany the lighting of the candles of the Advent wreath. You can do this on your own with a real Advent wreath. Or you can do this online by “lighting” the wreath through appropriate clicking. Or you can use this guide with your family, which might certainly include friends. All families are different, and I encourage you to adapt or to change what is suggested — or do something completely original. Parents will want to make changes to fit the developmental stages of their children.
Speaking of children, they have great expectations and hopes during Advent — usually associated with Christmas presents, Santa Claus, holiday celebrations, and so forth. Rather than discouraging these hopes (which is a “hopeless” task!), I would urge you to help your children get the “feel” of Advent by relating their hopes to biblical Advent themes.
I pray that this guide will help you prepare for the coming of the Christ child!
The Beginning of Week 1: We Remember the Meaning of Advent
Advent is a word that means “coming” or “visit”. In the Christian season of Advent we prepare for the “advent” of Christ at Christmas. Our preparation includes many things:
• We remember Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore them.
• We remember our hope for the second coming of Jesus.
• We remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins.
• We prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas into our world . . . and into our hearts.
By lighting one candle each week of Advent, we help ourselves to get ready for the birth of Jesus. The candles have different meanings, each based upon the Bible. These meanings help us to understand how special the birth of Jesus is for us.
Today we focus on the coming of Christ as our Shepherd.
Prayer for God’s Help
Dear God, thank you for this season of Advent that helps us to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas. As we read the Bible and light a candle, may excitement for Christ’s coming burn in our hearts. Amen.
Topics: Advent |
2 Responses to “Advent Devotion: The Lighting of the First Candle”
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November 30th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
[…] Mark D. Roberts has an Introduction to Advent […]
December 1st, 2008 at 11:41 am
Very good comments.