US EditionFinding Faith: There Is Value in Advent, No Matter the Meaning
Advent involves rituals like candle lighting and fasting to prepare for Jesus' birth, spiritual presence, and future return, offering space for reflection and slowing down, church leaders say.
- Framed theologically, Advent stands as a time of waiting and preparing for Jesus, whose coming is described as years ago, today, and in the future.
- Theologically, Advent centers on three arrivals: Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, Christ's coming in a believer's heart, and the eschatological Second Coming.
- Churches and homes observe weekly candle-lighting across five weeks, using Advent colors and candles alongside rituals like fasting, introspection, daily devotionals, wreaths, and special music and readings.
- For many, Advent also offers a chance to slow down, appealing to nonreligious people who value slowing down and serving as a cultural pushback against consumerism; the Christian pastor urges people to consider Advent's spirit in these last weeks before the end of the calendar year.
- Customs vary between congregations and communities, as many Jesus followers say Advent 'doesn't mean a hill of beans' while others still find the season beautiful.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Finding Faith: There is value in Advent, no matter the meaning
The Christian calendar has entered the season of Advent and, depending upon who you ask, you might hear an entirely different explanation of what this means. Trust me, it’s confusing even to many of us Jesus followers! At its essence, Advent is a time of waiting and preparing for Jesus’ coming. But zooming out, Advent celebrates the coming of Jesus from three perspectives: First, physically, as the Messiah’s birth story, which famously took pla…
As we celebrate every year the advent, the Church updates the expectation of the Messiah, each time we participate in the preparation of the first coming of the Savior, we renew the desire for his second coming. The word Advent comes from Latin, and means coming: the imminent coming of something or someone who is coming and who, moreover, we ardently await. Advent is a time of waiting, of conversion, of hope: waiting-memory of the first and humb…
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