The Light of the World

In the ancient world, when someone very important was about to arrive, it was called an Advent. Many Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus for four Sundays with an Advent Wreath. We add the light of one fresh candle each Sunday until Christmas Eve. The wreath is round to symbolize eternity and green for everlasting life. Three purple or blue candles remind us of royalty and one is pink the colour of joy.

Each candle is lit with a story from the bible. Christian traditions sometimes tell the stories in a different order, or use slightly different themes. This is one common order for Advent:

The first candle is named Hope because the prophets who spoke hundreds of years before Jesus birth would never see the coming Saviour with their own eyes, but they believed God would keep his promise.  (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2)

The second candle is called Peace, for the angels’ announcement of God’s coming reign of peace. (Luke 2:8-15)

The third candle is pink to symbolize Joy. The shepherds left their flocks in the fields and went with great joy at the news of a Saviour who was born to be Christ the Lord.  (Luke 2:8-12, 16-18)

On week four the final purple candle is called Love. That God so loved the world that he sent his son to earth, to be with us and to know us.

On Christmas Eve, after dark the wreath is lit with a new white candle in the centre because Jesus the Light of the World is here.  Each week, as the days grow darker, the wreath burns brighter. (John 1:9-4, 9-14)

This is what ADVENT is all about.

We hope you join us on the journey!

Connie DenBok