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Monday, Second Week Advent: The Christian Meaning of the Advent Candles and Wreath

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Symbolism and Meaning: Advent Candles

Christians around the world light traditional Advent candles to observe the coming of Christ who is the light of the world. Advent wreaths are found in churches and homes and mark each Sunday in the Advent season.

In the Lutheran church, three purple or blue candles match the liturgical color of Advent. Blue symbolizes anticipation and hope. Violet or purple Advent candles are a symbol of royalty and recognize Advent as a time of preparation and repentance.

Pink is the Christian symbol or joy. Each candle is a step prepares for the celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus. 

Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Learn the symbolism and meaning of advent candles .

Meaning First Advent Candle: Hope (purple or blue)

This is often called the Prophecy candle, or the Candle of Hope and expectation. Advent is a season of expectation. Our hope comes from God who will fill all with joy and peace. So it is appropriate that the second Advent candle symbolizes peace.

Second Advent Candle Represents: Peace (purple or blue)

Peace on earth, goodwill to men with the love of Jesus and the promise of a Savior who would be born in Bethlehem. So appropriately the 2nd Advent candle is called the Candle of Preparation. 

3rd Advent Candle Means Rejoice and JOY! (pink or rose)

Why is the third Advent candle pink? Pink or rose is a church liturgical color that signifies JOY.

On the third Sunday of Advent, the Candle of Joy or the Shepherd candle is lite.  The shepherds received a message of joy. It is a time to rejoice during this time for the coming of the Lord is coming soon.  The theme of the third Sunday in Advent is “rejoice in joy” and the Latin word is Gaudete and found originally in Phillippians 4:4. 

4th Candle of Advent: Love (purple or blue)

The meaning of the fourth Advent candle is love. It is also referred to as the Angel Candle or Candle of Love and lite on the last Sunday of Advent. With it the Angel’s announce the birth of the baby Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

5th Candle of Advent: Christ Candle (white)

Many Advent wreaths also contain a 5th candle often referred to as the Christ candle or Christmas candle. On Christmas morning it is lit and completes the season of Advent with the birth of the baby Jesus. The white candle of Christmas stands in the center of the wreath, just like Christ should stand in the center of our lives.

It is white to reminds us that Jesus is the spotless lamb of God. Clean, sinless, without blemish or stain. Jesus washes us our sins and makes us clean and without stains through the forgiveness of sin.

Meaning of the Advent Candles represents the hope, peace, joy, love of Christ.

The meanind of Advent Candles tell the story of preparation for the birth of the baby Jesus. Learn what each color represents and means.

The story of the Advent wreath tells the journey of hope of the people of Israel in a Savior. It represents the peace that comes in the joy of receiving Jesus Christ our Savior and the love of Christ for everyone.

https://www.zazzle.com/nativity_scene_christmas_metal_ornament-175157663005363150

Advent Devotional Readings: Monday, 2nd Week Advent

Reading for the 2nd Week Advent, Monday: Malachi 4: 1-6

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 28: 14-29; 13; 1  John 5: 1-21 


Second Sunday Advent: Hymns for Advent Season

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Lutheran Advent Season is Celebrated with Song and Music

“You better watch out!  You better not cry. You better not doubt, I’m telling you why…”  Oh no, that’s not how the hymns for Advent season being. Thank God that isn’t the theme of our Advent songs and hymns. But we often live that way, don’t we?

Jesus isn’t trying to catch us in sin or doing “good for goodness sake”

Yes, we should try. Try to live right, try to be clean, try not to sin. Our family and friends really need us to be good and not just during Advent leading up to Christmas.

Hymns for Advent Season are Full of Hope, Love, and Anticipation

Lutheran Advent hymns are a combination of some contemporary Advent songs such as “The Angel Gabriel” and some others you may not recognize.  I created a YouTube Advent Hymns playlist below for your enjoyment. Maybe you will recognize some of them, and others may bring back memories of Advent worship songs from the past.

Advent Sheet Music for Piano 

Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Your source for hymns for Advent season including Advent sheet music for piano and organ.List Advent Hymns

Below is a list of the YouTube Advent hymns with a link to the piano, organ and choral sheet music. I couldn’t find music for all of the hymns, but they can all be found in the Lutheran Hymnal and the arrangements are normally written to be sung in harmonies.

Advent Devotional Readings: Sunday Week Advent

2nd Sunday Advent Reading: Luke 21: 25-36

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 26: 20-27;  13; 1 John 4: 1-21 


Friday, the First Week of Advent: Why the Promise is Important

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Why are Promises Important?

The promise is important because it builds trust with the person who is the issues the promise. When their promises are fulfilled over and over you can have faith that future promises will be delivered.

All throughout the Bible is the word “Promise”. God promises Adam and Eve, He promised Noah, Abraham, Issac, Moses, the Children of Israel, Martha, Mary, the followers of Jesus. In almost every chapter there is a promise to an individual or a group of people.

Much of the time God’s promises after suffering or a tragedy. God promised Noah the earth would never be destroyed by flood again. He promised the Israelites suffering in Egypt that he would send them a deliverer. Moses came.

He promised Abraham He would make him the father of a great nation. Abrahams 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel that would eventually scatter throughout the world.  We are Abraham’s offspring.

Jesus Christ is the promise born in a manger, given to us for the salvation of the world.

Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Learn why the promise is important from God in your life.Promises Come in Time

What is missing is “when” the promise will be fulfilled. Rarely are God’s promises quick in coming.

But God doesn’t forget about them.  The promise is important in building faith. God gave the promise of His son to Adam, Abraham, Old Testament prophets, Joseph and many others. They must have talked to others. In fact, they did. They wrote down the promise. It’s written in the book of Isaiah.

People rely on promises. They hang onto promises. Your kids hang onto the promises you make. They remind you of them. “Remember, you promised.” Promises give us faith in the future and in God. The promise is important because it gives trust and reassurance.

When we as parents honor a promise to our kids, we give them trust and reassurance. In return, our kids knowing we will honor our promises then are more inclined to honor their promise of honoring their father and mother.

Promised Birth of Baby Jesus

The birth of baby Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises. 

He is our promise that brings His people out of the bondage of slavery to their sins. A promise to heal the sick, forgive our sins and give us salvation. Jesus is our salvation and our eternal life. 

So we can trust in Jesus, true man and true God, to deliver on the promises He makes us. Our trust in Jesus is what causes us to ask for forgiveness because we know they will be forgiven.

Links for Advent Season Reflections: Friday, First Week Advent

Reading for the 1st Friday in Advent: Isaiah 9:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24: 14-25; 1  John 2: 15-29 


Thursday, the First Week of Advent: Titles of Jesus in the Bible

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Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. ONe of the titles of Jesus in the Bible is Wonderful Counselor. Learn how He can counsel and release you of your sins.Titles of Jesus in the Bible

There are many titles of Jesus in the Bible including incredible and lofty titles for the Baby Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

This was the basis for the sermon for the first Wednesday night service in Advent at Trinity Lutheran Church in Murdock. Let’s just take the first name, wonderful counselor.

Jesus Christ was meant to walk beside us, guide us, help us and give us strength and answers when we cannot.

When the world turns against us and threatens our mind and soul who do we turn to? A counselor or therapist. Jesus.

Jesus is the best counselor. He is always there, and he doesn’t charge an hourly fee. You don’t have to place an emergency call to Him.

“You are mine. I put my name on you. You have the Holy Spirit. All my Good Friday benefits are yours: forgiveness, life, and salvation.”

Wonder of a Counselor

When your sins threaten to swallow you up and take over. You know that feeling, your heart races over all the lies you have told, the fibs, the cover stories to explain away deceit.  

Or maybe you are so consumed by wanting to get ahead at work, chasing money, playing office politics, to earn advancement by cheating a coworker or customers. THAT is how sin destroys and harms your soul.

Maybe you have an antagonistic relationship with a parent? You have fought in the past. Silence and animosity linger in the air. Holding onto anger, or hate is harmful. Don’t believe me. Try this exercise.

Think of the person and how they have harmed you. Does your breathing change, does your chest feel tight? You carry the weight. Don’t do it any longer. Let it go. Give it to Jesus, let Him console you.

Reflections of Advent Season, the title of Jesus being Wonderful Counselor

” Baby Counselor Jesus is there to console you with His saving death and resurrection. His words are divine. His words count. His words matter. His words TO YOU and FOR YOU are: “even though your sins be red as scarlet, they are made white as snow by my Good Friday blood.”

Forgiveness is powerful. It releases you from bearing the responsibility of the other person.  You can almost feel a weight taken off your shoulders. It sets you free.

Advent Season Reflections: Thursday, First Week Advent

Reading for the 1st Thursday in Advent: Isaiah 9:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24: 1-13;  John 1:10:14

Links to follow the First Week of Advent


Wednesday, the First Week of Advent: Children of God, the Gift of Adoption

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We are all Children of God

You aren’t an accident. Things don’t just happen for an unknown reason. 

God created you, he made those around you. He placed you in a family, exactly where you need to be and the people around you are a gift. You, in turn, are a gift to the people around you.

Who is your family? How did you come to be in your family?

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You see, I was adopted as an infant. At the earliest age, it was explained that I was “chosen”, wanted, and loved. My Mom and Dad chose to have a baby, but biologically it was not possible. So God gave them a gift, me.

In fact, it was just shortly after Christmas they received a letter saying a baby girl was waiting for them. I grew up with the comfort knowing I was NOT a mistake, I was NOT an accident. I was born at the right time, for a purpose.

The Gift of Adoption. If you are adopted, you are NOT a mistake. You are a child of God and a Gift.Gift of Adoption

Many adopted children search for their biological parents and feel as if a piece of them are “missing”. I never felt that way. My husband is adopted and he feels the same way. His Mom and Dad are his parents and he has never searched and never expressed a desire.

I feel if God wants you to know, or meet, it will happen. Just like it happened with my husband and the son he placed for adoption years later. Father and son were reunited after 25 years. It was none other than the hand of God working in many people to make it happen.

Over the years many people have asked: “Don’t you want to know?” I’ve had several discussions with friends who either were adopted, or have a spouse who is adopted. Some want to blame their “life problems” on not having a “parental connection” as an infant.

I seriously have been at peace my whole life with knowing I was a “gift” from God.

Isn’t it wonderful to be a “gift”, wow, that is really something when you think about it, I mean really think about it. We give for Christmas, birthdays, and sometimes the most wonderful gifts are unexpected.

I am a daughter of God, I am a baptized child of God. My Godmother made sure I was baptized right away and she became extremely influential in my life. Sunday school in the tiny Broad Brook country church started the journey and I have been wrapped in the arms of Jesus my whole life. Maybe that is why I’m secure in my place on earth.

Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. This is about the gift of adoption and how your real Father in Heaven is the only true Father you need.

Life hasn’t always been kind, there have been struggles. Oh how there have been struggles! But, God has saved me so many times I can’t count. God gave me a gift of Christ Jesus when he was born as a baby on Christmas. The gift is the promise that God will save me. He will make good out of whatever the universe throws at me.

That is what it means to be a child of God.

I believe things happen for a reason, in Gods’ purpose and timing.  For years my children have been wanting me to find out more about my ancestral heritage, their heritage. Are we Native American (Indian) like I thought? But I never felt the timing was right. Something this summer prompted me to send a DNA sample to 23nMe.Create Link

Religious views on adoption. You are not a mistake, you are here for a purpose

Nope, I’m the person that “traded their Lederhosen for a Kilt” as I found out I was more English and Irish, so our dark complexions come from Black Irish, ok. That’s cool. DNA related family, I did hold my breath when I clicked on the report. Closest relatives, a few 2nd cousins, and a thousand or so 4th and 5th cousins. I laughed. Yes, I laughed.

What did I expect? That the universe would suddenly align and all the mysteries would be solved?

No, I had no mysteries that needed solving. Since then more relatives have appeared on my report. I was contacted by a first cousin and my curiosity was piqued. One conversation led to another and after several months I have learned I have more cousins than I can count, sisters and brothers (half anyway). It has been overwhelming on both sides yet I have been welcomed into another family.

It is fun to compare family resemblances with family members and see similarities with my kids. Is the story complete? No, and that’s ok.  It is God’s timing, not mine, or anyone else’s. The story may never be told, and that’s ok.

The child of God in me knows my true Father. My parents raised me, I need no other Father here on earth.

I am content.

Reflections the First Wednesday of Advent

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 14: 1-23; 2 Peter 3:1-18

Links to follow the First Week of Advent