The Season After Epiphany; Lent; Advent—What Season is it now?

 

CHURCH 101      January 12, 2022  Church Year   

The Season After Epiphany; Lent; Advent—What Season is it now?

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4 There is a time for everything,    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 a time to be born and a time to die,
 a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 a time to kill and a time to heal,
 a time to tear down and a time to build,
 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
 a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 The Church has its seasons beyond the spring, summer autumn and winter. Most of these Seasons of the Church year follow this cycle of rest, preparation, remembrance or celebration.

The First Season of the Church year starts in late November or early December depending upon the year. The Season of Advent comprises the four weeks before Christmas which is counted on the 4 Sunday.. It is a time of preparing for Christ’s birth and a time to prepare for Jesus’ coming into our lives again.

Some churches mark these four Sundays by lighting one more candle per week to signify that we are getting closer to celebrating Jesus’ birth. The candles are usually 3 blue or purple and 1 pink. Each candle represents hope, peace joy and love.  The gifts that we each receive at the birth of Jesus.

Advent is a time of waiting and hearing again what took place before Jesus was born. The prophesies from the Old Testament and the words of the New Testament teach us to wait and be patient. For when we wait, Christ will come to us and call us to him.

We have recently experienced Advent with the four weeks before Christmas. Did you wait or dread Christmas celebrations? Was Christmas Day worth the wait?

Children often like to count the sleeps before Christmas as an activity of preparation. Others have advent calendars which begin on December 1 and may have a small treat for each day. However, you prepare for Christmas the anticipation of celebrating Jesus’ birth is a time of learning and preparing. Advent is a time of waiting! Waiting for Jesus to be born!

 PRAYER: Thank you God for the season of Advent when we wait for the blessing of your Son’s birth into the human world. Help us to wait and when we wait, may we always call on you to see us and cause us to rest again in you. Show us your way O God.  Teach us so that we may learn about your church and how we may take part in its life and work. Amen.