Posted on November 29, 2021 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters
I shared last year that growing up, our home church did not do Advent, but I am thankful that I have since learned to love this special way to prepare my heart for the celebration of the birth of our Savior.
Here is the background on Advent from Christianity.com:
The Advent wreath first appeared in Germany in 1839. A Lutheran minister working at a mission for children created a wreath out of the wheel of a cart. He placed twenty small red candles and four large white candles inside the ring. The red candles were lit on weekdays and the four white candles were lit on Sundays.
Eventually, the Advent wreath was created out of evergreens, symbolizing everlasting life in the midst of winter and death. The circle reminds us of God’s unending love and the eternal life He makes possible. Advent candles are often nestled in the evergreen wreath. Additional decorations, like holly and berries, are sometimes added. Their red color points ahead to Jesus’ sacrifice and death. Pinecones can symbolize the new life that Jesus brings through His resurrection. Families begin lighting a candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and they light another candle each subsequent Sunday.
The most common Advent candle tradition, however, involves four candles. A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Each candle represents something different, although traditions vary. The four candles traditionally represent hope, faith, joy, and peace. Often, the first, second, and fourth candles are purple; the third candle is rose-colored. Sometimes all the candles are red; in other traditions, all four candles are blue or white. Occasionally, a fifth white candle is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
There are some great resources to help prepare your hearts for Advent:
Tidings of Comfort and Great Joy – Dr. Mark Yarbrough, is written by the new President of Dallas Seminary. It’s a great read. I started it early and it is a WOW!
Our good friend, Dr. Ray Pritchard, always does a great job with his devotionals. This is a free resource on Smile.amazon.com if you have a Kindle. I love how he makes the story come alive and even includes music for you to check out.
Susie Larson wrote a brand new Advent devotional called Prepare Him Room. Susie has been a popular speaker at our Women’s events.
My all-time favorite Advent devotional is written by Paul David Tripp. Come Let Us Adore Him will challenge you in a very special way to think about the power of the gospel in your life.
All of these resources are available on Smile.Amazon.com
I trust that these will be helpful to you as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
May God bless you.
Bill Welte, President/CEO
America’s Keswick
Written by Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his childhood sweetheart for 40+ years and has four married kids and 12 amazing grandkids. He loves music and is an avid reader.
Think About This: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day.”. – Max Lucado
The Daily Bible Reading: Reflection | You can download our 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. -Colossians 3:12-13
Consider a retreat at America’s Keswick retreat center.
