Draw Nearer – Advent Week 1
The Draw Nearer Group met at St. Wilfrid’s Barn, Arley on the 12th October to start the study of Advent. Using the Church of England study booklet – A to Z of Advent.
We commenced with an outline of what Advent is and what it means to our Christian family.
An Introduction to the Season
Advent marks the beginning of the church year. It is a time for reflection in darkness, for the renewal of hope and for a movement towards a beginning.
The season of Advent, as it first emerged in the Church in the fourth and fifth centuries, lasts for 4 weeks. Later tradition developed the Advent we know today, of four Sundays before Christmas Day.
Church decorations are simple and sparse, and purple is the traditional colour used.
Advent falls at the darkest time of the year, and the natural symbols of darkness and light are powerfully at work throughout Advent and Christmas.
Advent is a season of expectation and preparation, as the Church prepares to celebrate the coming (adventus) of Christ in his incarnation, and also looks ahead to his final advent as judge at the end of time.
The readings and liturgies not only direct us towards Christ’s birth; they also challenge the modern reluctance to confront the theme of divine judgement:
Charles Wesley said –
Every eye shall now behold him robed in dreadful majesty.
The Four Last Things – Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell – have been traditional themes for Advent meditation.
The characteristic note of Advent is therefore expectation, rather than penitence, although the character of the season is easily coloured by an analogy with Lent. The anticipation of Christmas under commercial pressure has also made it harder to sustain the appropriate sense of alert watchfulness, but the fundamental Advent prayer remains ‘Maranatha’ –
‘Our Lord, come’ (1 Corinthians Chap:16 Ver: 22).
In the northern hemisphere, the Advent season falls at the darkest time of the year, and the natural symbols of darkness and light are powerfully at work throughout Advent and Christmas.
Advent is a time for preparing for Christ’s second coming, even as we remember and celebrate his first coming at Christmas. This is why the colour of the season of Lent is used, purple or blue, the colours also of Lent, of forgiveness and repentance.
Traditions vary from church to church, but usually one week, either week three or four in Advent, is set aside as more celebratory than others. Rose is the colour of this week rather than purple, which is why a rose candle is used. In our churches we will celebrate this week on the fourth Sunday of Advent, when we remember Mary, the mother of Jesus to who is attributed that great song of joy, the Magnificecat.
The Moravian custom of the Christingle has similarly enjoyed great success in Britain since the latter part of the twentieth century, with the encouragement of the Children’s Society; Christingle services may take place before or after Christmas.
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The A to Z of Advent booklet is divided into four sections (one for each week of Advent). \each week is divided into six days.
Week One starts with – A is for Advent and after the first six days F is for Forerunner will be reached.
This session, we discussed each day in detail, contributing from our own views and experiences.
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Over the next three meeting we will be continue the study, for each day of each week.
Our meeting will be on —
Week 2 – Monday 26th October from 7 for 7:30 at St. Laurence’s Church Annexe
Week 3 – Monday 9th November from 7 for 7:30 at St. Wilfrid’s Barn
Week 4 – Monday 23rd November from 7 for 7:30 at St. Laurence’s Church Annexe
Please join us in our studies and also enjoy our friendly company over a cupper and biscuits.
Also please keep watching at this web site for more information on the Draw Nearer Groupe