At Graceway, we began celebrating Advent together in 2016. For many of us the idea of Advent was a new concept; though we had heard about it, we had not formally observed it or understood much about it. Advent is the commemoration and celebration of the first coming (advent) of Jesus, and it is the anticipation of his second coming (advent). This is a marvelous yearly reminder that Jesus came, but he is also coming again. He has not left us without hope; he will return, though we do not know when. Though the phrase “Second Coming” does not occur in Scripture, the idea of his “coming” (parousia) is used twenty-four times throughout our New Testament (Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Cor. 15:23, 16:17; 2 Cor 7:6-7, 10:10; Phil. 1:26, 2:12; 1 Thess. 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1, 8-9; James 5:7-8; 2 Peter 1:16, 3:4, 12; 1 Jn. 2:28). This is an important element of our focus on Advent.

Advent begins the Christian calendar each year. The Christian calendar began not long after the passing of the apostles and the first century converts. As believers became second and third generation Christians, a desire to commemorate significant days or events developed. The Christian calendar, initially unofficial, commemorated these significant days in the life of Jesus and of those who had faithfully followed him. Primarily, the focus of the Christian calendar is for believers to commemorate and be reminded of the life of Jesus. Thus, it is marked by his first coming, Advent, Transfiguration Sunday, Holy Week, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension of our Lord, and Pentecost. Down through church history, this Christian calendar has taken various forms, but today is commemorated most notably through the lectionary. A lectionary is a book that offers Scriptural readings for the entire Christian calendar year. There are a variety of lectionaries (most notably the Revised Common Lectionary) that offer a three-year reading plan for the Christian calendar year.

The celebration of Advent dates all the way back to the earliest times of the organized church.  It is believed to have been first mentioned around the time of the Council of Sargossa in AD 380.  It is likely that Advent was initiated in response to the heretical ideas of Gnosticism and Manichaeanism (both having a dualistic focus of the world).  Advent was likely conceived to be a balance to these extreme ideas and focus instead on the blessings and glories of the incarnation of Jesus into the world as a baby, to live as a man among us and ultimately die in our place as the once for all sacrifice for our sins.

Advent consists of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Each year, those Sundays are different, but the focus throughout remains the same – that the first Advent of Jesus should be celebrated and a  remember there will absolutely be a second Advent.  Jesus is coming again!

Throughout the four weeks, colors have significance, the songs we sing have significance, and ultimately, it is all intended to point us to Jesus. The four Sundays each focus on a specific aspect of Advent: 1 – Preparation, 2 – Anticipation, 3 – Joy, 4 – Incarnation.  Each week there are readings that correspond to these aspects of Advent. These readings in the lectionary come from four different places in Scripture (the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament and the Gospels). These passages change focus slightly by year based on the three-year cycle.  This year, the readings come from the minor prophets, the Psalms, the Gospel of Luke and 1 Thessalonians, Philippians and Hebrews (see list below).

This season of Advent is also an anticipation of the coming Messiah, the one who will set His people free.  He will rescue us completely and bring the saving work he has already begun in us to its completion.  Advent is about anticipation and expectation. The expectation just keeps growing until it seems to be at an almost fevered pitch. As we come to this Christmas season, will you take time to focus on the reality that the Savior, our Redeemer, has come into the world, and that he will indeed come again? As a church, we have studied the reality of his return together in both Daniel and Revelation. The Lamb will win, and we can rejoice and must anticipate his return.

This year, we have an Advent reading schedule for our church family at Graceway. You can find it here. Please use it to consider and meditate on the certain return of our Savior into the world and the hope that we share – he is coming again!

Merry Christmas and Keep Looking Up!

We will see him soon!

Year C – Readings for Advent Sundays

Sunday, Dec. 1 

Old Testament       Jeremiah 33:14–16

Psalm                    Psalm 25:1–10

New Testament     1 Thessalonians 3:9–13

Gospel                   Luke 21:25–36

Sunday, Dec. 8 

Old Testament      Malachi 3:1–4

Psalm                    Luke 1:68–79

New Testament     Philippians 1:3–11

Gospel                   Luke 3:1–6

Sunday, Dec. 15 

Old Testament     Zephaniah 3:14–20

Psalm                   Isaiah 12:2–6

New Testament    Philippians 4:4–7

Gospel                  Luke 3:7–18

Sunday, Dec. 22 

Old Testament     Micah 5:2–5a

Psalm                   Psalm 80:1–7

New Testament    Hebrews 10:5–10

Gospel                  Luke 1:39–45 (46–55)^[1]

^[1] Readings taken from Revised Common Lectionary (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2009).