sign in sign up
<<
Home , Advent calendar, Advent candle

ADVENT at HOME

LIGHT CHURCH san diego THE HISTORY OF

Christmas has long since gone commercial, hasn’t it? When many people think of Advent, they think of plucking chocolates from behind the window of an that counts down the days to . We have the brilliant marketing minds at Cadbury to thank for that. They created the first chocolate Advent calendar in 1958. The word “advent” actually comes from the Latin adventus, which simply means “arrival.” Advent is the coming, the arrival, of the presence of God Himself—God with us. For hundreds of years, followers of from a wide variety of church traditions around the world have set aside the four weeks leading up to Christmas as a meaningful season of celebration and anticipation. That’s what we’re up to here! CELEBRATION

In celebration, we remember the earnest expectations and fervent prayers of faithful saints of old who longed for the coming of their Messiah to rescue them from sin and all its companions. Humanity called upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord answered. He arrived living and breathing and walking among us. Advent is a way to experience their joy as we put their ancient, Spirit-inspired words on our lips as a community.

ANTICIPATION

So Advent is something that really happened, but Advent will happen again. Jesus is coming back! At His first coming, the future Kingdom of God burst into the present with Jesus’ incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Our spiritual enemies were disarmed, yet our world is not what it will be as we await the reign of our Good King. We live in the “already but not yet” of Jesus’ kingdom. At Advent, we give voice to “kingdom come” prayers of our own, looking expectantly for Jesus’ return. In that way, this is a season of both celebration and anticipation. For Christians, Christmas is less sentimental than we think. Advent allows us to be honest about what’s wrong with our world and to freely celebrate Christmas as good news—King Jesus has come and King Jesus will come again!

PARTICIPATION

Beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, each of the four weeks of Advent leading up to will focus on a different theme of celebration and anticipation—hope, peace, joy, and love. Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20). Encountering God is not only possible this Christmas season, Jesus said it’s only a matter of opening the door. Will you let Him into your home? Will you prepare Him room? He’s waiting. If the whole idea of celebrating Advent is new to you, you’re in good hands.This booklet will guide you through weekly Advent Gatherings and a series of -Lighting Liturgies to do together with your family and/or friends. In addition, we encourage you to use the Lectio Divina Journal or Lectio Divina Journal App to spend daily time preparing our heart with hopeful anticipation and joy filled remembrance. WEEKLY GATHERINGS

This Christmas season we want you to consider connecting with your roommates or family members each Sunday at your home or at one of our in-person gatherings to enjoy community and encounter God together. There’s a pattern you may have noticed people tend to fall into during the Christmas season; we spend more, consume more, eat more, and do more in December than any other month of the year. For this reason, Christmas can be one of the least emotionally healthy seasons of the year. We believe it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, we’re inviting you to resist that pattern. As the famous proclaims, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” Make room for these Advent Gatherings. You won’t regret it. DAILY/WEEKLY ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING

This Advent guide will walk you through how to prepare for your Advent candle lighting, and it will give you step-by- step directions for how to participate in each Advent Candle-Lighting Liturgy in your home (liturgy is just a word for a thoughtful order of worship). The Advent Candle- Lighting itself can take 5-10 minutes.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

FRIENDS OR FAMILY • Advent is something we encourage you to do together if possible. Gather your roommates, zoom a friend, grab the family, etc. • Set aside 5-10 minutes at a particular time (after dinner, before bed, before heading off to school/work) • Let each person participate (read a Scripture, start a carol, light one of the candles) • Have fun with it! ADVENT CANDLES • Traditional- , your choice of greenery, a candelabra/candleholders, three purple candles (Hope, Peace, and Joy— Weeks 1–3), one pink candle (Love— Week 4), and one larger white candle at the center (Christmas Morning) • Non-traditional- Any candles will do! Four outer candles, and one larger center candle THE PROCESS

• Gather around the Advent Wreath • Light one candle per week leading up to Christmas • Each new week starts on Sunday • The center candle is lit on Christmas morning • Read a Scripture and Pray with what correlates with the theme of that week • Week 1: Hope • Week 2: Peace • Week 3: Joy • Week 4: Love • Sing of your choice • Remember to have a good time! DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS & MEDITATIONS

Day 1 - John 1:1-5 Day 18 - Matthew 2:1-2 Day 2 - Isaiah 9:6-7 Day 19 - Matthew 2:3-6 Day 3 - Isaiah 11:1-2 Day 20 - Matthew 2:7-10 Day 4 - Jeremiah Day 21 - Matthew 33:14-16 2:11-12 Day 5 - Luke 1:26-31 Day 22 - Matthew Day 6 - Luke 1:31-33 2:19-23 Day 7 - Luke 1:34-38 Day 23 - John 1:14 Day 8 - Matthew 1:18-21 Day 24 - John 18:36-37 Day 9 - Matthew 1:22-25 Day 25 - John 3:16 Day 10 - Luke 1:39-45 Day 26 - Romans 6:23 Day 11 - Luke 1:46-56 Day 27 - Galatians 4:4-5 Day 12 - Micah 5:2-4 Day 28 - 1 John 5:11 Day 13 - Luke 2:1-7 Day 29 - 1 Timothy Day 14 - Luke 2:8-12 1:15-17 Day 15 - Luke 2:13-14 Day 30 - Revelation Day 16 - Luke 2:15-18 3:20-21 Day 17 - Luke 2:19-20 Day 31 - Titus 3:3-7

TO YOU & YOURS,

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. John 1:9 lightsandiego.com @lightsandiego

light CHURCH