by Mark
Yesterday I posted about Advent. A helpful part of the Advent season is an Advent candle. There are a few different explanations of the candles circulating. I am not very clear as to the time of their exact origin, however they are helpful in focusing our attention during the Christmas season and drawing out its true meaning. The Mongolian church is learning about the church calendar. The following is the other part of an advent pamphlet that was written previously.
The Advent Candles
Our greatest desire is to glorify God. Many of the symbols that surround the Christmas season are rich in meaning and draw our affections to glorify God. However symbolism without understanding at best is empty and at worst is idolatry. We desire to avoid such emptiness and instead be drawn to the awe and wonder of this season.
The candles symbolize the light of the world, Jesus Christ. They are to draw our attention to Him. The colors of each candle are meaningful. Purple is the sign of royalty to remind us of Christ’s deity and might. Liturgically, purple is also the color of penance and longing in anticipation of Christ’s coming. Rose is a sign of joy and hope at the coming of Christ. White represents purity and brilliance proclaiming the light of the world.
The wreath symbolizes the eternity of God who is from everlasting to everlasting. The holly represents the crown of thorns to remind us that the one who came as an infant was to hang on the cross for the sins of the world. At the center of all stands the white Christ candle, a symbol of light for the hope of the world.
1st Sunday Purple Hope
2nd Sunday Purple Love
3rd Sunday Rose Joy
4th Sunday Purple Peace
Christmas White Salvation
Mongoliawood's Weblog 
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December 4, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Terrill
I ran across this the other day and posted it on facebook. It seems fitting to share it with you in light of the advent season:
Christmas commemorates God’s personal intervention in human affairs to rescue man from the consequences of his willful rebellion. Just as importantly, it provides a yearly reminder of the subordinate role of politics in the ultimate scheme of things, and the fact that it is ultimately through submission to God’s sovereignty that the individual becomes free. Such reminders are valuable in any age, but they are critical in an era in which … our social architects are laboring to organize the world as if God didn’t exist.
-William Norman Grigg
Love you guys!