Advent: Waiting For the Savior

(Plain Text Version)

Advent is the time to prepare for Christmas, which is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  Advent began on Sunday, November 28, and will end on Christmas Eve.  While we celebrate Christ’s first coming as an infant, we look forward to His second coming, when all things will be made right.

God created man in His own image and gave man a happy life on earth. 

Unfortunately, our first parents chose to be their own “gods”, making their own rules.  As a result, they lost the friendship of the true God.  This disobedience brought about disorder in human relationships and disaster in the world.

God, however, did not give up on us.  He promised that He would send a Savior to re-establish friendship with the human race.  This person was called the Messiah, or the Christ.

For thousands of years, God continued to remind us that the Messiah would come to conquer sin and evil.  When the time was right, Jesus the Messiah was born. 

During Advent, we recall the long time of yearning for the restoration of man’s relationship with God.  On Christmas, we will rejoice that the Messiah has come into the world.

We prepare for the coming of Christ mainly by prayer and sorrow for our sins.

The lighting of the four candles of the Advent wreath is one way to express our need for God.  During the first week of Advent, one candle is lit.  During the second week, two candles are lit, three on the third week, and all four on the fourth week.  A brief prayer is said when the candles are lit.  The light of the candles reminds us that Jesus is the light which drives away the darkness of sin.

Suggested Prayers for Advent

First Week of Advent (November 28 to December 4):

Let us pray that we may take Christ’s coming seriously. 

All-powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good, that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven, where he lives and reigns* with you and the Holy Spirit, one God. for ever and ever. Amen.               * reigns: rules as a king

Second Week (December 5 to December 11):

Let us pray that nothing may hinder* us from receiving Christ with joy. 

God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome.  Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God. for ever and ever.  Amen.                     * hinder: make something difficult

(Prayers for the remainder of Advent in next edition)