Advent: Waiting in Expectancy

By Eileen Gathman

I grew up in a home where we began celebrating Christmas on November 1st. That's actually a bit of a stretch-it was more like late October 31st. After the trick-or-treaters were gone, Dad began disassembling the Halloween decorations, put away the "Monster Mash" records, and brought the Christmas paraphernalia out of the eaves. I'm not just talking about wreaths and a tree. There were life-sized "Charlie Brown Christmas" characters gathered around a light up, also life-sized, nativity, all on the front lawn. They were watched over by Santa and Rudolph who had made their way up to the roof. And, of course, there were the lights, the Johnny Mathis records, and the Advent calendars revealing a different chocolate representation of the season every day.

You can imagine how it came as a shock to me when, in college, I learned that there was spiritual purpose to the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day. More than just the time where retail stores and radio stations have permission to get into nostalgia with all the gaudy flair imaginable, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas have deep, sacred purpose that could transform our lives, if we embraced them.

Some Advent 101: Advent - Latin for "coming," - is a season of waiting, preparation, and expectation. While we remember and celebrate the anticipation of the birth of the Savior 2000 years ago, we also await the second coming of Christ. Dennis Bratcher writes:

"In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live "between the times" and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God's people. So, as the church celebrates God's inbreaking into history in the Incarnation and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which "all creation is groaning awaiting its redemption," it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself." "

During Advent, we light candles each of the four weeks to symbolize four different aspects of the season. There are three purple candles and one pink, the pink one usually lit during week three. Although the candles and their colors have taken on different meanings, week one is typically purple and represents the expectation or hope that we can look forward to experiencing during the season. From there, the remaining three candles may symbolize peace, joy, and love, or John the Baptist, Mary, and the Magi, etc.

This year, the Worship Arts Teams are honoring traditional Advent elements and have prepared some new ones. Pastor John will be preaching a series entitled "Something to Celebrate," beginning with the awesome news that "Everyone is Invited." Kathy Smith has written character sketches to match the focus of each of Pastor John's sermons. During the third week, we are given an opportunity to gather for the Sundays at Central December Concert entitled, "Christmas Brass Wrapped in Strings and Bows." And, although the Fourth Sunday of Advent happens to fall on December 24th, don't be alarmed-we have prepared morning services (8:30 am Mosaic and 10:00 am Traditional) to close the Advent season and evening services (4:00 & 6:00 pm Mosaic and 9:00 pm Traditional) to celebrate Christmas Eve! Note the time change and number of services offered on the morning of the 24th to help accommodate your family's needs, perhaps making it possible for you to attend again in the evening.

This Advent season, I invite you to wait with me, to sing "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" before "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World," to attend worship services, to increase time for prayer and reflection (I like "Watch for the Light," a compilation of historical and contemporary theologians writing on the season), to send Christmas cards late-we give you permission! Whatever you do, know that, on behalf of the staff and leadership of Central Presbyterian Church, I pray peace, love, and joy into your Advent season.