Christ the King Episcopal Church
Lakeland, Florida
ADVENT
The Season of Anticipation
Advent marks the beginning of the Church's year. Beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, Advent is the first of the "incarnational" seasons and serves as a time of preparation and expectation for the Lord's coming among us. It is a reminder and celebration of the divine desire to be "born in human likeness" (Philippians 2:7) so that God might draw us back to God's self and that we might live the Trinitarian life.
The name is derived from the Latin word for "coming." On the one hand, it is a recollection of the nativity---the birth of Jesus to Mary and, secondly, in anticipation of Christ coming again "in power and glory." The tradition of keeping Advent began as early as the 4th century CE.
The liturgical color for Advent is purple or sarum blue - colors which reflect royalty.
SEASONAL CALENDAR
The Advent Wreath
The Advent Wreath has a long tradition in Western Christianity. The best evidence suggests that its origins lay with pre-Christian Germanic peoples who used wreathes with lit candles during the cold and dark days of winter as a sign of hope in the future warmth and sunlight of Spring. Meanwhile, Scandinavians lit candles in winter around a wheel, offering prayers to their god of light to turn “the wheel of the earth” back toward the sun to restore warmth.
In the Middle Ages, Christians adapted these, and using wreathes during the weeks leading to Christmas as part of a spiritual preparation for the Incarnation. Christ is, after all, “the Light that came into the world” to dispel the darkness of sin and to radiate the truth and love of God (see John 3:19-21). By 1600, Catholics and Lutherans alike had adapted formal practices surrounding the lighting of the Advent wreath. The symbolism of the Advent wreath is quite striking. The wreath, itself, is usually made of various evergreens which signifies continuous life. Forming the wreath in a circle, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ,
The four candles (three purple and one pink) are lit successively over the four Sundays/weeks of Advent reminding us of the passage of time and deepening our anticipation. Combined with prayers and devotions, the Advent Wreath serves as a point of reflection on four key Advent themes: hope, peace, joy, and love.