The word advent means coming. It has been celebrated in many Christian homes for centuries. As with many other things, denominations have their own way of waiting for the coming. Some see it as four weeks of fasting and repentance, somewhat like Lent.
For me, it a time of anticipation, both public and private, a time to remember the past, remember and rejoice that Christ came into this world to teach us how to live. To teach and demonstrate to us that it is possible to live a life of love just as He taught and to remember His great and saving love sacrifice for me and the rest of the world. It is a time to celebrate the present and not just the history, a time to remember all He has done for me and to look forward to the future and His coming again.
To me it is a special time of gratefulness, a time of remembering past advent celebrations in my family. Growing up my family always celebrated Advent. We would all gather around the dining room table, turn off the lights light the advent candles and sing a Christmas song. It was a very special time for me.
The church service had the public lighting of the candle and in the evening we had our own lighting. During the days we were surrounded by foreign languages but in the evening we sang in Latvian. For my parents, it was a reminder of their past family celebrations in Latvia. For us, that did not have those memories, we formed new family memories.
Now my advent Sunday home experience is different. It feels as a private, holy, quiet time. To feel the presence of Jesus in the holy silence, in the flame of hope and love.
Each Sunday, as we light the candle, we remember the joy, the hope, the love and the faith that Christ’s coming brought into the world and in us. For me it is a joyful time.
No matter how you choose to celebrate the private time, the coming together as His church family is such an imprortant event. A public showing of gathering together in gratefulness and anticipation but also a time of giving and receiving His love.
Form your own private traditions. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and draw closer as a family. To those of us who are alone, do not neglect that time. Christ wants to fill you anew with love, hope, faith and joy in Him!
To Him all honor and glory!
Gita Medne