Page 4 - Dec 2020 Jan 2021 Traveler

Pastor’s Notes

The four Sundays of Advent present an important and unique op-
portunity for each of us to meditate on Christ’s Coming. Over the
centuries, the church has observed Advent as a time of looking
forward to Jesus’ Second Coming. It was not until the Middle Ag-
es in Europe (500 C.E. – 1500 C.E.) that the church began observ-
ing the Advent season as a time to prepare for the birth of Jesus
at Bethlehem. In essence, two moods of Advent lay before us as
we recognize both Christ “coming again” at the end of time and
God’s coming to us in the gift of the Christ child when our hearts

and voices are raised in choruses of “Joy to the World”.

Advent was a precious and sacred time in our household. It was a time of lighting the Advent

candles on the family Advent wreath on successive Sunday evenings. One candle, than addi-
tional candles each week until all four candles were lighted. The reading of an Advent devo-
tion followed. The use of a daily Advent calendar was also included in our Advent journey.
Mother had sewn a large daily Advent calendar with pockets which hung on the living room
wall and contained an item or activity for us to do on each day in December. I loved the
pocket which contained a small candy cane which came with the words printed on a small
card: “The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem”. Sometimes, a small tree ornament would
be found inside the pocket and placed on the Christmas tree. Advent practices/rituals were

cherished in our household because these times together as family connected us to the
evening when we would arrive at the dimly lit church building for Christmas Eve Candlelight
service. Arriving in the darkness, we made our way carefully up the stairs
and into the sanctuary. It didn’t matter that the sanctuary was a bit dark and
hymns in the book were hard to see, we knew most of the Christmas carols
by heart. Then at the end of the service it became very dark in the church
sanctuary as the ushers turned out the lights. Then, the ushers came to the

front to receive their light from the Christ candle and began passing the Christ
light flame to people at the end of the pews, who, in turn, passed their light
to the people with unlit candles. In the stillness of the night, the room was
no longer a darkened chamber. Bit by bit the light overcame the darkness
and together we sang “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Christ, the true light is with
us now and forever. Rejoice!

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