{"id":608,"date":"2008-11-30T00:01:58","date_gmt":"2008-11-30T00:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/644.html"},"modified":"2008-11-30T00:01:58","modified_gmt":"2008-11-30T00:01:58","slug":"644","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/644.html","title":{"rendered":"Advent Devotion: The Lighting of the First Candle"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is an excerpt from my Advent Devotional Guide that uses the Advent wreath. If you have a real wreath, you can use it, either alone, or with others. If you don\u2019t have a wreath, follow this guide, and you can \u201clight\u201d the Advent candle for today online. (I originally wrote this guide for families at Irvine Presbyterian Church.)
\nIntroduction to Advent
\n<\/strong>
\nAdvent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping.\u00a0 Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas and ending on Christmas Eve, Advent helps us to prepare for the coming, or “advent” of the Christ child at Christmas.\u00a0 (The word “advent” comes from the Latin word that means “coming.”)
\nFor hundreds of years Christians have used an Advent wreath to inspire their hopes for the coming of Christ.\u00a0 By lighting candles and reading Bible verses, we are reminded about the meaning of Christ’s birth and become more excited about his coming in the past, in the future, and in our own lives.
\nThere is no set meaning for the candles of the Advent wreath (except for the middle candle, which always signifies the birth of Jesus the Christ).\u00a0 Some wreaths use all white candles; others use three purple candles, one pink candle, and one white candle in the middle.\u00a0 The purple candles remind us of how serious and solemn God’s people have been in waiting for the Messiah.\u00a0 The pink signifies the joy of our waiting.\u00a0 The white is triumphant and celebrative because Christ is born.
\nWhat follows is a guide for personal worship that can accompany the lighting of the candles of the Advent wreath.\u00a0 You can do this on your own with a real Advent wreath. Or you can do this online by “lighting” the wreath through appropriate clicking. Or you can use this guide with your family, which might certainly include friends. All families are different, and I encourage you to adapt or to change what is suggested — or do something completely original.\u00a0 Parents will want to make changes to fit the developmental stages of their children.
\nSpeaking of children, they have great expectations and hopes during Advent — usually associated with Christmas presents, Santa Claus, holiday celebrations, and so forth.\u00a0 Rather than discouraging these hopes (which is a “hopeless” task!), I would urge you to help your children get the “feel” of Advent by relating their hopes to biblical Advent themes.
\nI pray that this guide will help you prepare for the coming of the Christ child!<\/p>\n

The Beginning of Week 1: We Remember the Meaning of Advent<\/strong><\/p>\n

Advent is a word that means \u201ccoming\u201d or \u201cvisit\u201d. In the Christian season of Advent we prepare for the \u201cadvent\u201d of Christ at Christmas. Our preparation includes many things:<\/p>\n

\n

\u2022 We remember Israel\u2019s hope for the coming of God\u2019s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore them.<\/p>\n

\u2022 We remember our hope for the second coming of Jesus.<\/p>\n

\u2022 We remember our need for a Savior to save us from our sins.<\/p>\n

\u2022 We prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas into our world . . . and into our hearts.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"advent-wreath\"By lighting one candle each week of Advent, we help ourselves to get ready for the birth of Jesus.\u00a0 The candles have different meanings, each based upon the Bible.\u00a0 These meanings help us to understand how special the birth of Jesus is for us.<\/p>\n

Today we focus on the coming of Christ as our Shepherd.<\/p>\n

Prayer for God\u2019s Help<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear God, thank you for this season of Advent that helps us to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas.\u00a0 As we read the Bible and light a candle, may excitement for Christ’s coming burn in our hearts.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n

For the continuation of this Advent devotional, and for the \u201clighting\u201d of the Advent candle, click here. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is an excerpt from my Advent Devotional Guide that uses the Advent wreath. If you have a real wreath, you can use it, either alone, or with others. If you don\u2019t have a wreath, follow this guide, and you can \u201clight\u201d the Advent candle for today online. (I originally wrote this guide for families…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nAdvent Devotion: The Lighting of the First Candle - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}