Jonathan's Journals - December 2004
The Candles of Advent
Advent is one of the special times around Shiloh. It is the season in which we prepare for Christmas. One of the services I enjoy most is the Festival of the Greens (or Hanging of the Greens). As we celebrate this service on Dec. 5, we will adorn our church for the coming of the King. Yet we also need to adorn our hearts and lives in preparation of the birth of the Messiah. May our lives be like the manger which Jesus graces with his presence.
One of the ways we observe Advent is by lighting a different candle on the Advent Wreath each Sunday. The first candle symbolizes hope. God’s people hoped for a Savior, and we still hope for the Savior today to make his kingdom known in its fullness. Even in the darkness of our bleak world, there is hope because God has not forsaken us, and God promises to work for our good. Notice that hope is different from saying that, “people will eventually be able to work out their problems; things will get better; just give it some time.” Christian hope is not based on human aspirations to make themselves better. It is not based on the myth of human progress. It is based on the conviction that God will not abandon his creation, that God is determined to break in to our settled arrangements and bring forth new life. There is a power loose in the universe that is bigger than all of our brokenness. God doesn’t leave us to our own devices, and so that gives us hope.
The second candle represents love, or Christ the way. It was out of love for us that God became incarnate in Jesus. It is his love for us that draws us to him today. Love is the primary trait of God’s character (1 John 3:12). Love marks the internal life of God’s triune nature as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through our baptism into the Triune God, we become part of his life, part of his love.
The Third Candle is the candle of joy. It is different from the other candles. The other candles in the circle are purple – a color associated not only with royalty, but also with repentance. (Advent is a season of repentance in preparation for Christmas, the way Lent is a season of repentance in preparation for Easter.) But for just this one Sunday in Advent, the emphasis is not on the somber note of repentance symbolized in the purple candles, but on the exuberant note of joy, symbolized by the rose-colored candle. The coming of Christ brings us great joy, not just the superficial happiness of getting what we want, but the deep joy of knowing that God has reached out to us and wants to include us in his family. With such joy in our hearts, we cannot help but sing God’s praise.
The fourth candle is the symbol of peace. The prophets foretold the time when nation would not lift up sword against nation, neither would they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:5). As Christians, we believe that this peace is fulfilled in Jesus, whom we worship as the Prince of Peace. Jesus makes possible a new way of living and relating to other people. We can have peace with our neighbors (both far and wide), peace with ourselves, and peace with God. Our world desperately needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
None of the first four candles would matter, if it were not for the tall white candle in the middle. It is Jesus Christ, whose birth is celebrated when the white Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve, who brings us hope, love, joy, and peace. He is the light of the world. His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome Him. (John 1:5).
Advent is one of the special times around Shiloh. It is the season in which we prepare for Christmas. One of the services I enjoy most is the Festival of the Greens (or Hanging of the Greens). As we celebrate this service on Dec. 5, we will adorn our church for the coming of the King. Yet we also need to adorn our hearts and lives in preparation of the birth of the Messiah. May our lives be like the manger which Jesus graces with his presence.
One of the ways we observe Advent is by lighting a different candle on the Advent Wreath each Sunday. The first candle symbolizes hope. God’s people hoped for a Savior, and we still hope for the Savior today to make his kingdom known in its fullness. Even in the darkness of our bleak world, there is hope because God has not forsaken us, and God promises to work for our good. Notice that hope is different from saying that, “people will eventually be able to work out their problems; things will get better; just give it some time.” Christian hope is not based on human aspirations to make themselves better. It is not based on the myth of human progress. It is based on the conviction that God will not abandon his creation, that God is determined to break in to our settled arrangements and bring forth new life. There is a power loose in the universe that is bigger than all of our brokenness. God doesn’t leave us to our own devices, and so that gives us hope.
The second candle represents love, or Christ the way. It was out of love for us that God became incarnate in Jesus. It is his love for us that draws us to him today. Love is the primary trait of God’s character (1 John 3:12). Love marks the internal life of God’s triune nature as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through our baptism into the Triune God, we become part of his life, part of his love.
The Third Candle is the candle of joy. It is different from the other candles. The other candles in the circle are purple – a color associated not only with royalty, but also with repentance. (Advent is a season of repentance in preparation for Christmas, the way Lent is a season of repentance in preparation for Easter.) But for just this one Sunday in Advent, the emphasis is not on the somber note of repentance symbolized in the purple candles, but on the exuberant note of joy, symbolized by the rose-colored candle. The coming of Christ brings us great joy, not just the superficial happiness of getting what we want, but the deep joy of knowing that God has reached out to us and wants to include us in his family. With such joy in our hearts, we cannot help but sing God’s praise.
The fourth candle is the symbol of peace. The prophets foretold the time when nation would not lift up sword against nation, neither would they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:5). As Christians, we believe that this peace is fulfilled in Jesus, whom we worship as the Prince of Peace. Jesus makes possible a new way of living and relating to other people. We can have peace with our neighbors (both far and wide), peace with ourselves, and peace with God. Our world desperately needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
None of the first four candles would matter, if it were not for the tall white candle in the middle. It is Jesus Christ, whose birth is celebrated when the white Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve, who brings us hope, love, joy, and peace. He is the light of the world. His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome Him. (John 1:5).
posted by Jonathan Marlowe | 12:53 PM
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