Four Studies for Advent 2004 by the Very Rev John Murray
We all know what Advent means - only four more weeks to Christmas!
And we have to get ready to sing lots of carols about baby kings in the manger, wise men and star-gazing shepherds. Can you believe it?
Originally, Advent was a very serious affair - a period of "personal penitence" for all your sins during the past year! It was the equivalent of Lent before Easter.
It started as a 6 week period but was shortened to 5 weeks and then to 4 weeks as we know it today. [the recent international Joint Liturgical Commission want to lengthen it out to 9 weeks to include the story from the creation on - I once tried that on a congregation!]
Nowadays we have added four candles to mark the Sundays. Traditionally the candles are red but there are all sorts of colours used representing faith, peace and whatever you like. I like plain red. And there is also the tall white Christ candle for Christmas Eve.
Also, an import from Germany, there is the Advent Kreis or "wreath" - a circle of greenery, presumably representing the creation into which the Christ is born.
The traditional liturgical colour for the season is violet or purple, the penitential colour, but these days, with a change of emphasis from sin to celebration, it is usually red, the colour of the life-giving Spirit.
Over the centuries, each Sunday has been focussed on stages of the "preparation", of the waiting for GOD to appear –
and we shall follow them as we go.
Advent means "coming" and .............the question is "why are we waiting, why, what, where, who?
Please bring to the study a Bible and a notebook to jot down insights and dilemmas, a copy of Alleluia Aotearoa and Carol Our Christmas if you have them and especially on the last occasion at least, some bread and wine! Enjoy!
Over the centuries, some Christians have linked Advent with the Second Coming of the Christ. But this seems most inappropriate and distracts from the essential “new birth” message of Christmas.