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CHAPTER 1
ADVENT
INTRODUCTION
Advent, the first season of the Church year, begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. (This is the Sunday falling on or nearest November 30.) Varying from twenty-two to twenty-eight days, the season ends on Christmas Eve. The liturgical colors for Advent are purple and blue.
We spend this time preparing for the celebration of Christmas. We make gifts and buy them. We cover the presents in wrappings plain and fancy, making each gift as secret as the child who grew in Mary's womb. We prepare and receive cards, wishing each friend and loved one a happy and holy celebration of Christmas. Our houses are perhaps more fragrant now than at any other time of year, with a heady mix of the aromas of candle wax, evergreens, and spices.
Even those who don't go to church are certain that the coming Christmas is a time of great joy. Along with the canned carols at the malls and plastic Santas on the lawns, we need to understand the longing for joy that prompts them. We need to find ways to enrich our own and our community's preparations with the deeper meanings of Advent.
Advent Means Coming
We need to remember, for example, that the word advent means "coming." During Advent, we prepare for the celebration of the coming of Jesus as a babe in Bethlehem.
That birth fulfilled both the words of Israel's prophets and the events in Israel's history that each speak of God's saving grace. Thus, the Church has appointed scriptures for Advent that tell of God's promises to the people of Israel, especially prophecies that suggest the coming of a Messiah and a messianic age.
"You are God's beloved," Abraham heard in an alien land, and "God will be yours," promised Isaiah. Every covenant and prophecy — from the exodus to the foretelling of the nations' return to Jerusalem — recalled the promise of union with God. In Jesus, the promise is fulfilled.
A Season of Paradox
But Advent is also a season of paradox. We have inherited this twofold emphasis on joyful expectation and as well as somber repentance from the early Church. In the fourth century, Christians began celebrating Christmas as a religious festival, replacing the older pagan feast of the Unconquered Sun. It follows that in part of Christendom, the Church sought to make Advent a period of joy, glowing with the power of the Son of God.
In other places, the Church directed candidates who would be received into the Church on Epiphany, January 6, to fast during the preceding midwinter weeks. For this reason, Advent eventually became a time of penitent preparation for all Christians.
Preparing the Way for the New Creation
During Advent, we also recall and honor those who prepared the way for Jesus, and especially those who welcomed his birth: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, and others. We hear the stories of preparation. We sing carols of expectation.
But our expectation is not limited to the past events of Bethlehem. Jesus is coming, not only once to Bethlehem over two thousand years ago, but also today in word and sacrament. Jesus is coming again, in great glory, at the end of all time. Thus, in Advent, we also read scriptures that tell of an ultimate judgment, the end of this age, and a new reign of the kingdom of God.
These scriptures suggest questions: Might Jesus' second coming encompass both an outward, physical event and an inner event of the mind and heart? Indeed, it is often the apocalyptic events of our lives that bring us from a time of "running our own shows" (at great distance from God) into a new, deeper relationship with God.
So now we watch and wait. We watch and wait as the days of Advent run to Christmas. We watch and wait as the Church prepares place and song and heart for our infant Savior. We watch and wait for he who comes to us, in scripture and in Eucharist, who feeds us with his life. We watch and wait for the one who comes to fulfill all things, to make the whole creation new.
We watch and wait for Jesus, and he is coming.
Beyond the Celebration
The Advent season lends itself particularly well to giving to others. Beyond the Giving Tree activity, invite participants to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by most congregations to assist those in need through food collections, financial donations, wrapping and distributing gifts, etc. Invite persons from church or local social service organizations to speak to the group, emphasizing the ongoing needs of the poor. You might organize specific outreach opportunities throughout Advent and provide sign-up sheets during your Advent celebration.
WORSHIP
Opening Prayer
Begin the celebration by praying (or singing together) an Advent hymn:
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
CRAFTS
Advent Wreaths
The Advent wreath is a tradition that helps us take time out from our busy Christmas preparations to open our hearts to Jesus.
The circular form of the wreath, like God's love, is never-ending. The greenery that covers it reminds us of everlasting life and hope because evergreen trees are green even in the midst of winter.
The candles are symbols of the light God brings us. Three of them are dark "royal" purple or Sarum blue (from the medieval Sarum rite in England). Both symbolize preparation, penitence, and royalty to welcome the new King. The purple of Advent is also the color of suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. This points to an important connection between Jesus' birth and death. Deep blue is the color of the clear, predawn sky, the color that covers the earth in the hours before the sun rises in the east. Most of us are not looking at the sky at that hour — perhaps we're still asleep, or too weary to notice it as we get ready for work or school. Nonetheless, a deep, dark blue is the color that covers us in the dark, cold hours before the sun dawns. Thus, the deep blue for Advent reminds us of the season of expectation and anticipation of the dawn of Christ.
The fourth candle is pink and is lit on the Third Sunday of Advent when we celebrate with special joy. Some people light a white candle, the Christ candle, in the center of the wreath on Christmas Day.
Make an Advent wreath to symbolize the everlasting nature of God's love and light. If you are doing this as a church-wide event, offer several methods by setting up materials for each method at separate tables, and invite families to work together to make an Advent wreath of their choice for their homes. Provide families with additional materials that they can use for their own family Advent wreath observances.
Wreath 1
Materials
• florist's wire, heavy and lightweight
• evergreens
• short candle holders, 4 (or 5) for each wreath
• candles: 3 purple (or blue) and 1 rose (or pink) for each wreath
• optional: florist's or modeling clay; purple ribbon; sprays of berries; pine cones; white candle
Directions
1. Bend the heavy wire into a 12" diameter circle. (To make the wreath sturdier and fuller, you might choose to make a second, smaller circle, place it within the first, and wire the two together with short lengths of wire.)
2. Trim the circular form with evergreens, bound to it with lightweight wire. You may wish to put the wreath on a plate or tray with a rim, in order to keep the wreath fresh with water in the container for moisture.
3. Put four short candle holders at equal distance around the circle. Save the white candle and holder to place in the center on Christmas.
4. If necessary, use bits of modeling or florist's clay to hold the candles securely in the candle holders.
5. Add a purple (or blue) bow, berries, or pinecones, if desired, for decoration.
Wreath 2
Materials
• dinner plate for each wreath (ask each family to bring a plate from home)
• florist's clay
• candles: 3 purple (or blue) and 1 rose (or pink) for each wreath
• lightweight florist's wire
• evergreens
• optional: 1 white candle for each wreath; purple ribbon; sprays of berries; pinecones
Directions
1. Use florist's clay to secure the three purple and one pink candles to the dinner plate. (Add one white candle in the center to represent Christ, if desired.)
2. Use lightweight florist's wire to bind small bundles of greenery and place these on the plate to form the wreath. Add a purple (or blue) bow, berries, or pinecones to decorate the wreath, if desired.
Wreath 3
Materials
• 1–1½" thick cross sections of a log 10–12" in diameter
• drill with ½" bit
• candles: 3 purple (or blue) and 1 rose (or pink) for each wreath
• staple gun and staples
• evergreens
Directions
1. Drill four or five ½" deep holes in each cross section of log.
2. Place one candle in each hole.
3. Use the staple gun to attach evergreens to the wood.
Jesse Tree Booklets and Ornaments
Jesse was the father of King David, and both were ancestors of Jesus. Many years after Jesse lived, the prophet Isaiah told of a new tree that would sprout from the family tree of Jesse — a new king would arise from among David's descendants.
"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." — Isaiah 11:1
A Jesse Tree can be an evergreen tree, a fabric wall hanging in the shape of a tree, or a bare branch anchored in a pot of rocks. The custom is to add a decoration to the tree each day during Advent. The decorations are symbols of Jesse and other men and women of the Old Testament who prepared the way for Jesus.
This activity includes directions for making Jesse Tree decorations and a booklet to use at home along with the decorations. Alternately, you could make decorations to use on a Jesse Tree for your church.
Jesse Tree Booklets
Prior to beginning the activity, briefly explain the custom of the Jesse Tree, inviting each person to make a Jesse Tree book to take home. Plan to demonstrate as you give directions.
Materials
• white 8½" x 11" paper, 7 sheets per person
• 8½" x 11" purple construction paper, 1 sheet per person
• pink yarn or satin ribbon
• hole punch
• scissors
• rubber cement or glue stick
• copies of Jesse Tree symbols (page 9), 1 set per person (download at www.churchpublishing.org/faithfulcelebrations3)
• markers or crayons
Directions
1. To make the book, fold seven white sheets of paper in half. Tuck each sheet inside another. (The size of the book will be 8½" x 5½" wide.)
2. Fold a sheet of construction paper in like fashion and put this around the pages as a cover. Punch two holes near the spine of the booklet. Run a piece of yarn through the holes and tie the booklet together.
3. Number the pages 1–28. Take the Jesse Tree symbols and cut along the solid lines so that you have a slip of paper for each day of Advent. Glue a slip to each page, in consecutive order from 1 to 28. Use crayons or markers to decorate illustrations.
Full-size patterns can be downloaded at www.churchpublising.org/faithfulcelebrations3
Note: The actual number of days in Advent can vary depending upon which day of the week Christmas falls. In essence, you'll have enough pages in each booklet to observe four full weeks of "Advent" prior to Christmas Day, even if the actual number of days in Advent is less than twenty-eight.
Jesse Tree Ornaments
Invite participants to make a set of Jesse Tree ornaments to use at home or church on a bare branch tree, felt tree, or evergreen. Provide copies of symbols, but also invite participants to create their own symbols, if they wish.
Materials
• copies of Jesse Tree symbols (on the right) (download at www.churchpublishing.org/faithfulcelebrations3)
• felt, in assorted colors
• scissors
• glue
• ribbon
• optional: sequins, glitter, pom-poms
Directions
1. Suggest a collage technique for constructing the ornaments. For example: The crown for David could be cut from yellow felt, then decorated with gluedon scraps of felt in bright colors or with sequins or glitter.
2. Add a ribbon loop with glue to the top of the ornament for hanging.
Mural of the New Creation
Invite everyone to work together to make a mural that illustrates Jesus' bringing the new creation.
Isaiah 65:17–25
For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth;
Materials
• Bibles
• butcher paper, approximate 10 feet in length
• crayons or markers
• whiteboard, poster board, or newsprint
• masking tape
Directions
1. Read Isaiah 65:17–25 to the participants, inviting everyone to read along silently. Ask the following questions:
• Why do we read about God's new creation in Advent?
• What will we find in the new creation?
• How would you feel living there?
2. List answers on whiteboard, newsprint, or poster board for all to see. Mention, if no one else has, that Jesus brings the new creation to God's people.
3. Using the ideas generated by the group, use markers or crayons to create the scene on a long sheet of butcher paper that you have taped to the wall. (Make sure that it is within reach of the youngest participants and that markers will not bleed through the paper.)
Simple Christmas Ornaments
Even the smallest child can participant in this activity with assistance.
Materials
• small, gold metallic paper doilies
• glue o old Christmas cards
• thread or string (gold, if possible)
• scissors
Directions
1. Make a simple Christmas tree ornament by gluing two gold metallic doilies together, shiny sides out.
2. Cut a small nativity story figure or other design out of an old Christmas card and glue the figure in the center of one of the doilies.
3. String gold thread through the top of the ornament as a hanger. (One of these could be tucked in with a Christmas card to a friend.)
Gift Wrap
For many, Christmas is all about gift-giving. While the project is underway, this activity gives an opportunity to talk about why this custom came to be at Christmas, with the ultimate gift God gave to us: Jesus.
Materials
• butcher paper or shelf paper
• pages from the classified section of a newspaper o objects for printing: cookie cutters, empty spools, jar lids, corks, square rubber erasers, sponges cut into the shapes of stars, trees, and angels
• thick red and green tempera paint
• cookie sheets or disposable pie pans
• paper towels
• portable laundry drying racks or clothesline (with clothespins)
• plastic tablecloths as drop cloths under the drying racks or clothesline as well as on the tables to protect the surface from unwanted paint
Directions
1. Make a stamp pad for printing by putting ten or so paper towels on a cookie sheet or in a pie pan and saturating the paper towels with thick red or green paint. Make enough stamp pads to scatter around the tables where the activity will take place.
2. Give each participant a 3-foot length of paper or a page of newspaper.
3. Invite everyone to make wrapping paper by dipping various objects into paint and pressing the objects onto the paper. Repeated designs are especially effective.
4. Drape or hang them on the racks or clothesline to dry.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Faithful Celebrations"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Sharon Ely Pearson.
Excerpted by permission of Church Publishing Incorporated.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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