The Spiritual Journey Of Advent Worship

Advent is a corporate spiritual journey that calls for expectant waiting and readiness for the coming of Christ. When the church travels this journey and treats it as a discipline of life and prayer, the joy of Christmas is immeasurably intensified.

What we do during Advent finds its meaning in the Pasch, the death and resurrection of Christ. Christ was born to die and to be raised to new life for the sake of the world's redemption. Therefore Advent is never celebrated as a season to itself, but the season in which the one who has died for the restoration of the world is awaited. The Light for which we wait in Advent is the Light that dispels the darkness at Easter. Incarnation and atonement must always be brought together as two vital parts of the redemption tapestry. The word advent means "coming." During Advent, we celebrate the coming of Christ at Bethlehem, his coming into our hearts, and his Second Coming. For four weeks before Christmas, our worship calls us into a time to wait for the coming of the Lord. We begin at what may seem a distance from the coming of Christ in Bethlehem and proceed closer each week to the birth. Thus worship during the first two weeks emphasizes the second coming of Christ and the need to prepare for his return. The preparations we make for the second coming of Christ are similar to the preparations Israel was making for the coming of the Messiah. Terms such as hope, eager anticipation, longing, and looking toward the day all express the kind of inner feeling Israel had as it waited for the Messiah. Those descriptive terms likewise capture the feelings we Christians have as we await the consummation of history and the redemption of all things. But readiness is more than a feeling. It includes moral and spiritual preparation, the kind alluded to by Peter when he wrote, "What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" (2 Pet. 3:11, nkjv). Consequently, a life of godly conduct is emphasized in the Scripture readings of the first two weeks of Advent. Starting with the third week of Advent, the emphasis shifts to the feeling of joy. Since the day of his appearing is coming closer, the accent falls on what Christ will do in his coming. Both his first and second comings are related to salvation, redemption, the renewal of Creation, the restoration of all things to the Father, and the sure destruction of evil. Since the putting down of the devil and his kingdom of darkness makes way for joy, the sense of that emotion is captured in the Scriptures, antiphons, hymns, prayers, and instruction of the third week. In the fourth week of Advent, we are brought closer to the event of Jesus' birth. Consequently, the accent or our worship falls on the Incarnation: God with us. In this service, we are drawn up into the rejoicing of those immediately involved in the events surrounding the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ. We listen or sing together the Annunciation to Mary and Mary's great response, the Magnificat. These readings, together with the prayers and antiphons, bring us closer to Christ and increase our anticipation for his birth. Advent is the season that breaks into the long Pentecost season with the dramatic announcement of the second coming of Jesus. This radically new message with its call to repentance and its high sense of expectancy demands high drama. An Advent full of color and bursting with drama and appropriate symbols will serve the meaning of Advent and ready the people for the second coming of Christ and for the birth of the Son, which historically comes first. Below are ways to convey the spirit of joyous anticipation: "¢ Consider the worship environment for Advent. Traditionally churches are "greened" during Advent. Some churches green the sanctuary at the beginning of Advent, while other churches wait until the third week of Advent (the traditional date for greening the church in December 17). December 17 is called O Sapentia because of the tradition of singing the "O" Antiphons before and after the Magnificat. The use of the "O" Antiphon texts and the greening of the church express the growing anticipation for the coming of the Lord. For a service of greening see chapter 6. "¢ Plan special services that feature the readings appropriate to Advent as well as music written specifically for this season. See the service of Nine Lessons and Carols in chapter 6. "¢ Do not neglect the penitential character of Advent. The entrance rites during Advent may express the sobriety of repentance. Do not use an act of praise such as the Gloria in Excelsis Deo or upbeat praise songs. Instead sing or say the canticle Benedictus (Luke 1:68–79), or sing praise and worship music that fits the theme of repentance. "¢ Prior to the entrance rites, use the service for the lighting of the Advent wreath. The lighting of the first candle the first week, the first and second the second week, and so on until the climax of lighting the Christ candle (the fifth and middle candle) on Christmas Eve. The Advent candles express a sense of drama and expectancy. See the texts included in chapter 4. "¢ Observe Gaudite Sunday, the Sunday of joy. The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudite Sunday in the Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions. The term comes from the antiphon of the introit psalm "rejoice in the Lord always" (Eph. 4:4). Gaudite Sunday is the most festive of the four Sundays of Advent. It is also the Sunday that proclaims the Virgin Mary as the bearer of God's Son. A rose may be placed in an obvious place as the symbol of Gaudite. "¢ Use Advent colors. The colors of Advent are royal purple or sarum blue. Rose colors may be used on Gaudite Sunday. These deep colors express the penitential theme of Advent. "¢ Use drama to bring to life narrative portions of Scripture, such as John the Baptist's announcement of the coming Christ. "¢ Sing Advent hymns, preserving Christmas hymns for the Christmas season.