As someone who has spent most of my life in a Christian denomination (Church of Christ) that doesn’t typically recognize the liturgical calendar as a part of worship, I am curious about Advent. What does Advent mean? How does it fit in with Christmas? So I asked my friend The Reverend Monna Mayhall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for a brief primer on Advent. She was very happy to answer my question…"What’s the big deal about Advent?”

Monna writes:

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go!”

However, in our church, the focus isn’t on Christmas yet.  It’s all about Advent.  

Advent is a season celebrated in some church traditions. It is the time before Christmas, and it marks the beginning of the church calendar. The beginning of Advent is determined by backing up 4 Sundays before Christmas Day.   

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means coming.  In essence, the season of Advent is four weeks of waiting and preparing for the first coming of Christ, as a baby in Bethlehem…but also of looking expectantly for the second coming of Christ, as Christ the Triumphant King.  

Not every church observes the Advent season in the same way, but in the Episcopal tradition, we do several things during this time.  Advent is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, and in that sense, it is a time to reflect on our lives and making room for Christ to dwell in our lives.  

We don’t adorn the church with Christmas decorations, but we do have an Advent wreath with candles. The round wreath is symbolic of God’s never-ending love. We light a candle on the wreath each of the four weeks in Advent. With each additional candle, the darkness fades and the brightness grows, symbolic of the light of Christ.  Many people have an Advent wreath in their home during this season. 

The scriptural readings we use during the season of Advent draw us out into the wilderness with John the Baptist, offer the prophetic voice of Isaiah, and foretell of Christ’s second coming.   

The season of Advent beckons us to slow down, and not get caught up in what culture dictates we should do during this season before Christmas. The season of Advent calls us to step away from the holiday hullaballoo…away from the distractions, the lights, the noise, the pressure…even if just for a short time.

It’s the season of Advent! So, let’s wait to welcome the Christ Child once again. Let’s not be in such a rush to get to the manger, but rather let’s patiently prepare our hearts to be a home for the bundle of joy and love about to be born.