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Lighting an Advent wreath to mark the coming of Jesus Christ is a lovely tradition celebrated by churches around the world, yet no one is quite sure when it began. Some say that Germanic tribes used wreaths of evergreens and candles to symbolize the assurance of life during dark, cold winters before Christianity arrived in northern Europe; a practice that Christians later adapted for Advent in the Middle Ages. Other sources indicate that German Lutherans first used Advent wreaths during the Reformation in the 16th century or even later in the 19th century. Whenever it began, Advent wreaths are a beloved tradition of Christmas that help us wait well for the coming of the Messiah.
Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” It is a time when we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ in the past, remember His death and resurrection and look with hope to the time when He will come again. We experience a range of emotions and themes symbolized by the Advent wreath. The circular form reminds us that God is eternal, without beginning or end. The evergreen branches signify Christ’s resurrection from the dead and eternal life. Some entwine red holly berries in their wreath as a symbol of Christ’s blood, shed so that we, too, may have eternal life. Four candles are positioned around the wreath with one candle in the middle. While the candles may be any color, we use purple, rose and white candles.
Three purple candles signify that Advent is a "penitential" season during which we prepare our hearts for Christ's coming by examining our lives and asking God's forgivness for our sins and shortcomings. The purple of Advent connects us to Lent, the other penitential season of the church year when we prepare for Christ's death and resurrection. We are reminded that the shadow of the cross falls over the manger where the holy child sleeps; the new life of this baby is a sign of the new creation we become with His resurrection. Purple is also the color of royalty indicating that Jesus Christ is King. This year we will light a rose-colored candle on the Third Sunday of Advent which is also called "Gaudete" Sunday from the Latin word "rejoice" because we are joyful indeed that Jesus' birth is near. A white "Christ" candle is in the center of the wreath, signifying Christ's purity and that He is the center of Advent, the One for whom we wait.
The candles can represent different aspects of Advent or people in the Christmas story. The first candle generally signifies Hope, Expectation or Prophesy. The other candles can represent: Bethlehem, Shepherds and Angels or John the Baptist, Mary and the Magi or Annunciation, Proclamation and Fulfillment. We have chosen the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love for our Advent wreath.
The candles are lit one by one on successive Sundays by different groups of people who are chosen by the Worship Committee. With the lighting of each candle, the movement of darkness to light recalls the Savior’s birth bringing light to a dark, weary world. Our Advent Worship services begin with the lighting of the candles, together with a Call to Worship and an Invocation according to the theme, whether Hope, Peace, Joy or Love. The Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve with all the other candles to celebrate Jesus’ birth. You will find that the headings of each chapter in We Light This Candle contain the words for the Call to Worship and the Invocation for that week. The Invocation frame has been taken from the stained glass window of the Nativity located in our choir loft.
May this booklet and our Advent Worship help you wait well for the coming of Christ!
Daria
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