<\/span><\/p>\n Advent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping.\u00a0 Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas and ending on Christmas Eve, Advent helps us to prepare for the coming, or \u201cadvent\u201d of the Christ child at Christmas.\u00a0 (The word \u201cadvent\u201d comes from the Latin word that means \u201ccoming.\u201d)\u00a0<\/p>\n For hundreds of years Christians have used an Advent wreath to inspire their hopes for the coming of Christ.\u00a0 By lighting candles and reading Bible verses, we are reminded about the meaning of Christ\u2019s birth and become more excited about his coming in the past, in the future, and in our own lives.<\/p>\n There is no set meaning for the candles of the Advent wreath (except for the middle candle, which always signifies the birth of Jesus the Christ).\u00a0 Some wreaths use all white candles; others use three purple candles, one pink candle, and one white candle in the middle.\u00a0 The purple candles remind us of how serious and solemn God\u2019s people have been in waiting for the Messiah.\u00a0 The pink signifies the joy of our waiting.\u00a0 The white is triumphant and celebrative because Christ is born.\u00a0<\/p>\n What follows is a guide for personal worship that can accompany the lighting of the candles of the Advent wreath.\u00a0 You can do this on your own with a real Advent wreath. Or you can do this online by \u201clighting\u201d the wreath through appropriate clicking. Or you can use this guide with your family, which might certainly include friends. All families are different, and I encourage you to adapt or to change what is suggested \u2014 or do something completely original.\u00a0 Parents will want to make changes to fit the developmental stages of their children.\u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking of children, they have great expectations and hopes during Advent \u2014 usually associated with Christmas presents, Santa Claus, holiday celebrations, and so forth.\u00a0 Rather than discouraging these hopes (which is a \u201chopeless\u201d task!), I would urge you to help your children get the \u201cfeel\u201d of Advent by relating their hopes to biblical Advent themes.\u00a0<\/p>\n I pray that this guide will help you prepare for the coming of the Christ child!<\/p>\n [This year we are joining Mark Roberts\u2019 Advent liturgies.]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Advent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping.\u00a0 Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas and ending on Christmas Eve, Advent helps us to prepare for the coming, or \u201cadvent\u201d of the Christ child at Christmas.\u00a0 (The word \u201cadvent\u201d comes from the Latin word that means \u201ccoming.\u201d)\u00a0 For hundreds of years Christians have used an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1749],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advent"],"yoast_head":"\n