Advent On Christmas Eve

Remember to first light all four previous candles before beginning. Our final Advent celebration is in honor of Christ and the salvation we afford through the shedding of His royal ruby red blood. Were it not for the Christ Child there would be no Christmas. Were it not for Christmas there would be no salvation. This week let us reflect on the sacrifice JESUS made when He left His royal place in heaven and took on the flesh of a man while remaining fully God. He bore our sins on a cross that we may be joint heirs with Him in eternity. Shall we never forget the ultimate sacrifice JESUS made for you and for me.

As we close this Advent celebration, remember to keep the Christ of Christmas alive in your heart.

The Scripture Reading:

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring for a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” The Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1: 26-38

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. Matthew 1:18-25

The Prayer:

Father, on this day we worship Your Son whose birth was merely the beginning of a life of total sacrifice. We thank You for the prophets who foretold of His coming. We thank You for the little town of Bethlehem where the King was born. We thank You for the shepherds You chose to first hear about His birth. We thank You for the angels who brought the glorious news of the coming of Your Son. And most of all we thank You for JESUS and the hope, love, joy and peace He brings. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. It is in His name we pray. Amen.

The Candle:

Light the fifth and final tall white candle in honor of JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

The Song: (Suggested)

Away in a Manger

This Christmas hymn was purportedly published in a collection entitled, Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families. The song was edited by James R. Murray who lived between 1841 and 1905.

Advent Week Four - The Joyous Announcement

This week, the fourth week of Advent, we remember the angel that gloriously proclaimed the birth of the Christ Child. This announcement was the most momentous message that ever had been or ever will again be made! The angel truly did bring tidings of great joy…the Savior was born. Not only was he excited about the news, but so were all his friends who showed up to celebrate along with him. How many angels joined him? The Bible says it was a multitude. How many is a multitude? I don’t know, but I have a feeling it was a HUGE amount! Just imagine the most insane concert and laser show you’ve ever seen and multiply that by infinity and it’s probably not even close to what the shepherds saw that earth-shattering night of Jesus’ birth!


This week we are also to remember peace…the peace that is only found in the loving arms of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. As you light today’s candle reflect a moment on the peace of Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

Remember to first re-light the candles lit on previous weeks.

The Scripture Reading:

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:8-20

The Prayer:

Father we thank You for the angels who brought the glorious news of the birth of Your Son. No other means of announcement would be so befitting Christ’s birth as a multitude of the heavenly host. We praise You and adore You and thank You for your Son, Jesus.

The Candle:

The fourth week of Advent is celebrated with the lighting of the third purple candle to remind us of the angels who joyously announced the glorious birth of Jesus…the Prince of Peace.

The Song: (Suggested)

Hark! The Harold Angels Sing

This Christmas carol was written in 1739 by Charles Wesley (brother of John, who founded the Methodist Church). The tune, however, came from Mendelssohn in 1840 to celebrate Gutenberg and the invention of printing.

Advent Week One

The time has come again for the celebration of Advent. The first week represents “The Prophecy of Jesus’ first coming” or “HOPE.” Advent is, after all, a prayerful, spiritual preparation for the second and final coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is also a joyful remembrance of His birth.

The Scripture Reading:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is giving; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2

The Prayer:

Father God in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. We thank You Father for sending Your precious Son, Jesus, The Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. We thank You at Christmastime for the prophets who foretold of Your coming. We praise You as we await Your second coming. Amen

The Candle:

The first week of Advent is celebrated with the lighting of one of the purple candles which represents the prophecy of the coming of Christ Jesus and the hope of our coming Savior and King!

The Song: (Suggested)

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

This traditional hymn is thought to have come from the 8th or 9th century and is one of the most solemn of Advent hymns. The song confirms the proclamation in Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Tradition!

This week on the American Christian Fiction E-loop, writers are talking about their Christmas traditions and where they originated. This idea has prompted me to blog about some of my own Christmas traditions; old and new.

Each year at Christmastime my family participates in a variety of conventional and even a few unconventional celebrations. Our first Christmas tradition we’ll call Chinese Light Night! This is the night, usually a Friday or Saturday night just before Christmas when our family eats Chinese food (the restaurant must have dumplings) and then travels around town to one or more of the beautifully decorated neighborhoods around Houston. This is followed by Starbucks! Why Chinese food? It’s in honor of what the family had to eat in the movie, A Christmas Story after the Bumpus Hounds ate their Christmas turkey. I know, it’s silly, but it’s meaningful to us. Oh, as an added bonus, this year we all wore our footie pajamas in the car…and in Starbucks.

Our second Christmas tradition (in the past) has always been a silent communion service the Sunday evening before Christmas Day. This was a beautiful celebration of the partaking of the body and blood of Christ performed in complete silence. This year was different. Not in a bad way, just different. The service took place on Christmas Eve, officiated by our new minister. He preached on “God’s Indescribable Gift.” The sermon was followed by the second-most interesting communion service I’ve ever attended. The customary cup of juice and cracker was replaced with a self-serve, disposable juice and wafer cups. These were amazing, but difficult to open. Note: When casually asking ex-military named Bubba for help opening something, be prepared to have a knife pulled on you…in church! I would elaborate on my first, most interesting communion, but that would require another blog entry.

Our third and newest Christmas tradition was our celebration of Advent for the first time. This beautiful time of preparation of the Second Coming of Christ was a wonderful way to begin the Christmas season.

Of course we have many more traditions, but just like Christmas, this blog must come to an end. Until next year, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Advent Season

This year our church is advocating the celebration of Advent. I’ve always been curious about the season of Advent, but never paid much attention to it since it wasn’t something my family had ever participated in. The strange coincidence is that I have been researching Advent for the book I’m currently writing. So this year it is my plan to participate in the Advent season with my family.

Advent literally means, “coming,” or “initiation,” or “arrival.” The purpose of Advent is to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ while celebrating His first appearance on earth at Christmastime.

The fourth Sunday before Christmas, or the Sunday closest to November 30, is the first day of Advent. The celebration consists of the following activities, reading of scriptures, prayer, singing of Christmas carols and lighting of candle(s). How is Advent celebrated? The first thing to do is to gather the needed supplies.

The Advent wreath is used nowadays to hold the five candles that will be lit each week. The wreath is usually round with four candle holders around the edge in the shape of a cross with one single candle holder in the middle of the four outer candles. The wreath has special significance as to its shape, etc, but not feeling crafty at this particular point in time I don’t plan on making a wreath. Instead I am collecting five candle holders from around my house and arranging them in a circle (unless, of course, I find one on clearance at the craft store) I’m sure Jesus won’t mind.

The five candles are significant as well with three purple, one pink and one white representing Christ. The three purple candles that will be lit on the first, second and fourth weeks represent Christ’s royalty. The pink candle represents God’s love in giving His only begotten Son. The white candle represents the purity of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Over the next few weeks I will write about how each week of Advent is celebrated. So for now, take this time to gather your supplies and if you desire to make an Advent wreath you can Google the instructions. Remember…the first Sunday of Advent this year is on November, 27, 2011 so get ready!!