Luke 2: 10-11
“Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Tomorrow is the beginning of four weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas Day. It may come as a surprise to many that at one time the celebration of Christmas was banned in America and, in fact, in the 1600s folks in Boston were fined if they were found celebrating! That law was finally abolished but by that time the holiday was all but forgotten until much later. In the 1700s it was celebrated in a number of the original colonies but when Independence from Britain was declared, it fell out of favor once again as it was thought to be unpatriotic to celebrate a holiday that came to them from England. By the 1800s, the holiday came back and became more family-oriented. Charles Dickens’ novel, A Christmas Carol, gained worldwide popularity, as did The Night Before Christmas, by Clement Moore; Christmas trees and Christmas cards were introduced. Finally, on June 26, 1870, Christmas was officially declared a federal holiday.
The advent wreath was invented by a German pastor in 1839 to encourage children to be patient for Christmas, and the Germans also introduced the Advent calendar in the mid 1800s. How wonderful that we live in a time when we can celebrate all aspects of the Advent season with reverence, peaceful contemplation, creativity and freedom! Each of the four weeks of Advent and the lighting of the individual candles are representative of Jesus’ coming and the fifth and last candle honors Him as Christ the Lord:
o The Hope Candle
o The Way to God Candle
o The Joy Candle
o The Love Candle
o The Christ Candle
“Nations have their red-letter days, their carnivals and festivals, but once in the year, and only once, the whole world stands still to celebrate the advent of a life. Only Jesus of Nazareth claims their worldwide undying remembrance. You cannot cut Christmas out of the calendar, nor out of the heart of the world.” Author unknown
Join me, won’t you, for the next four weeks as we celebrate the coming Jesus, Who brings hope, joy, love, and is the only way to God.
Father in Heaven, with great hope and expectancy we prepare our hearts for the long-expected Jesus. We ask that You give us a fresh perspective on Advent that would open our eyes to see Him more clearly and to serve Him more fully. May Christmas never be cut out of the heart of the world. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
