2019 Huguenot Road Baptist Church 10525 W. Huguenot Road N. Chesterfield, VA 23235 www.hrbcrichmond.org Advent at Huguenot Road Baptist Church Sunday, December 1- First Sunday of Advent - Hope 8:30 am the Awakening Worship 9:45 am Bible Study for all ages 11:00 am Traditional Worship Sunday, December 8 - Second Sunday of Advent - Love 8:30 am the Awakening Worship 9:45 am Bible Study for all ages 11:00 am Traditional Worship Sunday, December 15 - Third Sunday of Advent - Joy 8:30 am the Awakening Worship 9:45 am Bible Study for all ages 11:00 am Traditional Worship 6:00 pm A Celtic Nativity 7:15 pm Church-wide Christmas Reception Sunday, December 22- Fourth Sunday of Advent - Peace 8:30 am the Awakening Worship 9:45 am Bible Study for all ages 11:00 am Traditional Worship Tuesday, December 24 - Christmas Eve 3:00 pm Family Nativity Worship 5:30 pm the Awakening Contemporary Worship 11:00 pm Candlelight Communion Worship Sunday, December 29 10:00 am Christmastide Worship Advent, 2019 Advent, meaning “the coming,” is a time when we wait expectantly. Christians be- gan to celebrate it as a season during the fourth and fifth centuries. While Christmas is a celebration of the coming of the Christ child, what God has already done, Advent is a season of waiting, even longing, in expectation of the full coming of God’s reign on earth and for the return of Christ. Advent is as much about looking ahead, to what God will yet do, as it is about remembering. But this waiting is not a passive waiting. It is an active waiting. As any expectant mother knows, this waiting also involves preparation, exercise, nutrition, care, pray- er, work; and birth involves pain, blood, tears, joy, release, community. It is called labor for a reason. Likewise, we are in a world pregnant with hope, and we live in the expectation of the coming of God’s kingdom on earth. As we wait, we also work, cry, pray, ache; we are the midwives of another world. Advent is often marked with purple, signifying royalty; in earlier times, purple often marked the coming of a king or Caesar. (Often, members of the royal family were the only people allowed to wear it.) Many Christians celebrate Advent by lighting a purple candle for three of the four weeks leading up to Christmas. A pink candle, signifying joy, is lit on the third week of advent. A white candle, the Christ candle, is lit on Christmas Eve. Today, the season between Thanksgiving and Christmas that many of us recognize as Advent is the biggest frenzy of retail spending. More than half of it, hundreds of billions of dollars a year, is spent as we celebrate the birth of the homeless Son of God in that stinky manger. (And he got only three presents. One of them was myrrh. What baby wants myrrh?) Hundreds of Christian congregations are now re- thinking the Advent season as a time for compassion rather than consumption. This Advent devotion guide, written by our own congregants, is designed to help you reflect on God’s work through the gift of a messiah, a savior – Jesus. These devo- tions will encourage us to remember that together, we are God’s body, called to be a light in the darkness for our community in RVA. May we prepare to celebrate what God has done in the manger long ago and what God continues to do each day in homes, offices, schools, and public places all over the world. God is with us – Emanuel! A Family Christmas Activity – Create an Advent Wreath The advent wreath most likely has its origins in Germany and northern Europe as one of many symbols of light used by Christians in the Middle Ages to celebrate the Christmas season. It may go back to even earlier times. The candles symbolically were placed in a circular evergreen wreath, which represented not only victory and glory, but also the eternity of God and everlasting life. Tradition evolved so that on each Sunday of Advent the candles are lit to proclaim the coming of the Christ Child, the Light of the World. It is customary to say a prayer and sing a hymn with the light- ing of the candles. Additionally, some families will extinguish all other lights in the home to allow only the glow of the candles to permeate the room as they reflect on the upcoming joyous celebration. Materials Needed: 3 purple candles, 1 pink candle (you can also use battery operated lights and wrap them purple and pink construction paper) One white candle A Styrofoam holder or ring A base for the wreath (perhaps a plate or tray) Greenery to decorate (artificial or fresh). You can use holly, fern, cedar, pine nee- dles and pinecones, or any other evergreens that are available. Place the three purple candles and pink candle in a circle in the Styrofoam holder or another type of candleholder on the base being used. Place the white candle in the center. Arrange the greenery around the bottom of the candles in a way that is pleasing to the eye. On the first Sunday of Advent, light the first purple candle, the Candle of Hope, in celebration of the coming of our King. Some scripture to read with the candle of hope include: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25: 1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; and Luke 21:25-26. Sing the first verse of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Pray a prayer of hope. Thanking God for sending his son, Jesus, who brought the world out of darkness into light. When you have finished, carefully blow out the candle. The remainder of the candles will be lit on consecutive Sundays. On the second Sunday of Advent, light the first candle and a second purple candle, the Candle of Love, as we think about the love God shows us through his son. Some scripture to read with the candle of love include: Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; and Luke 3:1-6. Sing the first and second verses of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Pray a pray of preparation, asking that God may pre- pare our hearts to receive God’s love and to share it with others. On the third Sunday of Advent, light the previous two purple candles and then light a third candle, the pink Candle of Joy. Some scripture to read with the candle of joy include: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; and Luke 3:7-18. Sing the first, second, and third verses of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” As you celebrate with joy, pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God, for a love so great to per- sonally draw us to him, to become God’s children, and to offer eternal life in heaven. On the fourth Sunday of Advent, light all the previous candles and the last pur- ple candle, the Candle of Peace. Some scriptures to read with the candle of peace include: Micah 5:2-5a; Psalm 80:1-7; Luke 1:47-55; Hebrews 10:5-10; and Luke 1:39 -45. Sing all four verses of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Pray that God’s peace would envelop and guide you during this season and all year long. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning begin your celebration by lighting all four candles and finally the white candle in the center, the Christ Candle. Some scripture to read with the Christ Candle include: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; and Luke 2:1-14. Sing your favorite Christmas Carols, especially those that recount Jesus’ birth. Take time to begin the day by thanking God for his unending love, and for “becoming flesh and living among us” (John 1:14). Adapted from The Christmas Countdown; Creating 25 Days of New Advent Tradi- tions for Families by Margie J. Harding. Paraclette Press, Brewster, Massachusetts, 2010. First Week of Advent Candle of Hope Sunday, December 1, 2019 Candle of Hope Hope If you are a dog owner you have probably seen the physical expression of hopeful anticipation. Whether they are at the door and you see them in the window as you’re coming home or you’re holding their favorite toy overhead, they sit there panting, maybe whining a bit, but their tail is wagging violently and their entire body seems to be trembling. Have you ever wanted something so bad you were shaking with anticipation over it? Maybe it was a dream job or acceptance into a special school program. Maybe it was just the excitement of friends or family coming over after you have been apart for a long time. This desire or longing to have or be with is hope. The first week of advent brings us into a season of hoping for the long awaited birth of the Christ child. Not only do we reflect on the hope of the coming Christ into the world as an infant, but we live today with the hope of Christ’s second coming to restore all of creation. We have this hope be- cause God has a hope, too. God’s expressed hope is that all of creation, you and me, would turn towards our Creator and know. Know that we are loved and set aside as heirs of creation. God’s hope for humanity to be in relationship with God is so strong, that God acted.