The Advent Wreath
The word, 'Advent,' means coming. The four weeks before Christmas, are to be a time when we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child. This preparation is symbolic of the preaching of John the Baptist: "As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." ~Luke 3:4.
An Advent Wreath is a symbolic way to help us prepare our hearts. The wreath is a circle, without beginning or end, symbolizing God who is eternal.
The wreath is made of evergreens, symbolizing Christ, who is forever alive. The evergreen branches are also symbolic of our eternal life, which we now have through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
The wreath also has candles. The lit candle symbolizes Christ, the light of the world. Some advent wreathes have four candles, one for each Sunday in Advent. Some wreathes have a fifth candle in the center, the Christ Candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve.
The colors of the candles vary by tradition. We are using 4 white candles and 1 red candle. The white stands for purity, reminding us that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary, and was himself without sin. The red stands for royalty, since Jesus is of royal lineage (the House of David), the Prince of Peace, and Lord of All.
We hope that you will join us each Sunday during Advent, and on Christmas Eve, to 'light' a candle in our 'Virtual Advent Wreath.'
God Bless You!
Mark & Nancy Lemmon
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