“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”- Malachi 4:1-6
It has been a while since I last wrote on a season of the Church Year. Why? It is because the season of Pentecost roughly takes up half of the Church Year. With the season of Pentecost ending, a new one begins. Which season now begins? It is the season of Advent. As always, I am heavily indebted to my old professor, Dr. Timothy Maschke, who taught me about the Church Year. In preparing this article, I found the book The Lutheran Liturgy to be very helpful. As with every season, Advent, too, points to Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.
Name and Origins: Advent comes from a Latin word which means “coming.” The season of Advent first originated in France, as people observed it to help them prepare for Christmas. By the second Council of Tours in 567, the observance of Advent was quite universal in France. Later on, the Roman Catholic Church accepted this innovation, and it became more widespread.
Length: In some places, Advent was six or seven Sundays. Some Church bodies have Advent for 40 days. When Advent became celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church, Advent was limited to four Sundays (the four Sundays before Christmas). As Lutherans, we have kept this tradition.
Themes: It is appropriate that Advent means “coming” because it is the theme of the season. In Advent, we celebrate the three-fold coming of Christ. We celebrate Christ’s coming in the manager (His first coming which fulfilled prophecy), His Second Coming (His return for judgment), and how He comes to us today by Word and Sacrament.
Similar to Lent, there is a penitential tone to Advent, but it is not as emphasized. Advent is a time of hope and anticipation as we look to the comings of Christ.
Color: The color for Advent can be blue or purple. Both color choices are appropriate. Blue is a color that depicts hope and anticipation. Since Advent anticipates Christ’s coming in the manger and looks to His Second Coming, blue is an appropriate color that reflects these themes. It is also interesting to note that the tradition of blue came from Swedish Lutherans.
The other color that has been used for Advent is purple. This color depicts royalty and self-discipline. To make the color purple, the cloth would be dyed in the blood of a snail to make it that color. Such a process was not only expensive, but also time consuming, and would require much self-sacrifice on the part of the maker in terms of time and attention. As a result, purple became the symbol of penitence. This color is also appropriate for Advent since it has a theme of repentance and is a time of preparation. Purple is also the color of royalty, and who is coming in the manger? The King of Kings!
In more recent times, the color blue has traditionally been used. At Emmaus, we will have the blue paraments and banners out, and I will wear my blue stole.
The Advent Wreath: The use of the Advent Wreath originated in Eastern Germany before the Reformation. Traditionally, it has always included three purple candles and one pink candle. The purple candles matched the purple paraments that were on the altar, and the pink candle was always lit on the third Sunday. The third Sunday in Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday,” which means “rejoice” in Latin. This Sunday has a more joyful tone and theme.
One other thing to note about Advent candles is that they traditionally and historically do not have names. The practice of naming Advent candles is a novel phenomenon. Naming them things like “hope, peace, joy, freedom,” or after people and places, can aid devotion, study, prayer, and contemplation. However, do not let this distract you from what the Advent Wreath and candles point you to: Jesus Christ and His coming in the manger to save you from your sins.
I hope this little article helped to shed some new light on Advent, and will aid your celebration of this season. Blessings to you as we begin the Advent season! ~Pastor Kooi
(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints, Vol. XXI, Number 5, December 2019)