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Do you (how do you) mark the Advent season?

Discussion in 'Pastoral Ministries' started by hamricba, Nov 23, 2005.

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  1. hamricba

    hamricba New Member

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    Fellow pastors,

    Just looking for how you do Advent in your church, if you do it.

    I had been doing the candle lighting wreath in years past, but am leaning away from it this year. It seems to feel too sacramental and traditionalistic, and even though we do Scripture readings with it, I'm losing confidence in it as a useful practice.

    I'll still use some advent-oriented hymns in worship and references to Christ's coming in preaching.

    I would love to hear from others on this. Particularly from those who have given it more thought and study than I have. Thanks.
     
    #1 hamricba, Nov 23, 2005
  2. hamricba

    hamricba New Member

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    bump
     
    #2 hamricba, Nov 23, 2005
  3. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

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    I don't know that our church formally does advent. But, we have done the candles, readings, christmas songs, etc, decorations, lightings, videos, etc.
     
    #3 SaggyWoman, Nov 29, 2005
  4. go2church

    go2church Active Member
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    I use the candle wreath, but light it during the course of the sermon, last week was hope, this week is joy. I also have the traditional colors of purple and white on the table and the pulpit drape.
     
    #4 go2church, Nov 30, 2005
  5. tenor

    tenor New Member

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    We do a full Advent season - wreath, candles, Hanging of the Green Service, etc. We also publish a daily devotional guide from the first Sunday of Advent to Christmas Day. Our Pastor (I'm the Minister of Music) assigns the scripture passages and our people write the devotionals. We also have our children create artwork for the books. This is maningful tool and resource for rou Advent worship.
     
    #5 tenor, Dec 1, 2005
  6. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    We just lit our 4th set of candles today. We have children come up each week and light/recite and we enclose a daily devotional (along with our 2005 theme of "flame") for each day of the week.

    Next Sunday we will have a large center Christ-Candle, surrounded in the wreath by the four other candles. This is a special part of our service, combined with Communion, following our singing and prayer.
     
    #6 Dr. Bob, Dec 18, 2005
  7. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    I have yet to fully observe the candle-ceremony, but Christmas time is far too important just to give it one sermon. I utilize the lectionary for this and for Easter as well, whether the texts are what the sermon is based upon or whether they are used for Scripture readings.
     
    #7 TomVols, Dec 18, 2005
  8. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    I am preaching 3 topical >gasp< Christmas messages and then 1 on New Year's Sunday, before returning to exposition of Romans 4.

    When I told the congregation I was doing that this year and that we would put off 4:9-12 and subject of circumcision until after the new year, there was an audible sigh of relief!!
     
    #8 Dr. Bob, Dec 19, 2005
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