We are in the season of Advent.
It is a time of preparation, anticipation, and waiting - beginning four Sundays before Christmas (November 29th, this year). As a young child, perhaps you had an Advent calendar, and opened one door each day of December. Maybe you still do! For lots of folks, Advent is a time to "get ready" for Christmas. But it is SO MUCH MORE than that! Advent is about preparing our lives for Jesus to come, yes, but it's not all past tense. We prepare for the celebration of Jesus' nativity at Christmas. We prepare for Jesus to come again in the fullness of the Kingdom of God. We prepare and celebrate for all the ways Jesus comes to us NOW (in the Word and Sacraments, in the stranger, etc.). At CtK this year, our Advent theme is Star Followers. And our Sunday morning sermon titles are: 11/29 - A New Hope 12/6 - The Empire Strikes Back 12/13 - Return of the Baptist 12/20 - Faith Awakens We gather on Wednesdays during Advent, too, for a simple soup supper at 6:00pm, and for Holden Evening Prayer at 7:00pm. We'll be exploring different kinds of prayer: 12/2 - Contemplative Prayer 12/9 - Embodied Prayer 12/16 - Neighborhood Prayer Don't miss it! |
Advent in 2 MinutesHere's a fast-paced introduction to the season of Advent from our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters at Busted Halo. You might notice that the candles on their advent wreath are purple and pink, while the candles at CtK are blue.. Many Lutheran congregations use blue for the season of Advent, as the color of hope (think the color of the sky just before dawn). Many Christian traditions retain the older use of purple (like Lent) for the season of Advent.
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Chuck Knows Church
Here's our friend Chuck (from the United Methodist Church). He's got purple and pink candles, too. Check it out!
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Celebrating Advent
How do you celebrate Advent at your house?
Here are some things to try (in addition to doing your daily FAITH5 - share, read, talk, pray, bless - every night)
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