It is that time of year again. Christmas music is on the radio, Christmas lights are popping up everywhere, and Christmas trees are going up. We’re getting into the festive spirit as well, but our celebration is a little different. At Concord Baptist Church we’re celebrating the season of the church year called Advent.
The questions are asked often enough. What is Advent? Where did the idea actually come from? The word Advent comes from the Latin Adventus, and it means “the coming of the Savior.” Across the world, many churches celebrate Advent as a very holy time marking a period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, or Christmas. In many ways, it stands in contrast to the hustle and bustle, commercial, economic-driven version of the holiday season which seems to entangle our society.
Inside the church, we use the various decorations for more than just a change of scenery. The church is decorated properly with greenery everywhere, representing the evergreen hope, love, joy, and peace of the coming of our Lord. Among the items we see in Advent observances is the color purple which symbolizes great royalty in the coming of our lord. You will often see candles representing a journey. Each week, the journey brings us closer to Bethlehem.
We sing the songs of the season and of hope like “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel”, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and many others. They are reminders of hope, something distinct to Christianity and so much a part of the life of every follower of Christ. Like many before us—the Hebrews entering the Promised Land and the shepherds who journeyed to Bethlehem to find the Christ child—we recognize our own journey. Through the message found in Scripture, we begin to focus our hearts on the little town of Bethlehem and the Baby in the manger. We have hope in God’s promise of the One who would come and save His people. We have hope in Jesus, and we want to Go and Tell It!
We hope your family will join us as we tell our families, our community and ultimately the world about the birth of Jesus Christ and the love of God that came to us at Christmas. We hope you and your family will enjoy this Advent Guide and will find all of the hope, peace, love, and joy found only in Jesus Christ this Christmas!
