Celebrating The Coming of the King with an Advent Wreath

Yesterday was the first Sunday of advent and Benny and I had the honor of sharing the lighting of the first candle (Prophecy Candle) of our Advent Wreath and our table with family and special friends. And by the way, I am a good ole southern baptist girl!   A couple of years ago I started having a longing for a more simple Christmas time.  One that helped me realize and celebrate Jesus, the Messiah, my Savior.  Since losing daddy, I am learning to walk with one foot in heaven and one on earth.   I searched for other traditions, wanting to be careful that it wasn't something else to do just for the sake of "tradition". I settled on the Jesse Tree and the Advent Wreath.  It is becoming very special for my home.

Our wreath is homemade (keeping it simple and real).  Beautiful Advent Wreaths are available for purchase as well.  Benny provided the beautiful pine cones he found on the side of the road.  Most wreaths have greenery, but I chose to keep mine more rustic this year.

The world will tell you that Christmas is a magical time of year.  But I tell you - what's magical about Christmas is a Person.  His name is Jesus.  He came to bring light into the world.  It's not magic, it's spiritual and it's real. 

The History of the Advent Wreath

The symbolism of the Advent wreath is beautiful. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ. Any pine cones, nuts, or seedpods used to decorate the wreath also symbolize life and resurrection. All together, the wreath depicts the immortality of our soul and the new, everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death, and resurrection.

On the first Sunday of Advent, the first purple candle is lit. This candle is typically called the "Prophecy Candle" in remembrance of the prophets, primarily Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. This candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah. (December 6, 2015)

On the second Sunday of Advent, the second purple candle is lit. This candle typically represents love. Some traditions call this the "Bethlehem Candle," symbolizing Christ's manger. (December 13, 2015)

On the third Sunday of Advent the pink, or rose-colored candle is lit. This pink candle is customarily called the "Shepherds Candle" and it represents joy. (December 20, 2015)

The fourth and last purple candle, oftentimes called the "Angels Candle," represents peace and is lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent. (December 27, 2015.)

On Christmas Eve, the white center candle is traditionally lit. This candle is called the "Christ Candle" and represents the life of Christ that has come into the world.

The color white represents purity. Christ is the sinless, spotless, pure Savior. Also, those who receive Christ as Savior are washed of their sins and made whiter than snow.

Celebrating with an Advent wreath during the weeks prior to Christmas is a great way for Christian families to keep Christ at the center of Christmas, and for parents to teach their children the true meaning of Christmas. In family practice, the Advent wreath is most appropriately lit at dinner time after the blessing of the food. A traditional prayer service using the Advent wreath proceeds as follows:

On the First Sunday of Advent, the father of the family blesses the wreath, praying: O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth Thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from Thee abundant graces. Who lives and reigns forever. Amen.” He then continues for each of the days of the first week of Advent, O Lord, stir up Thy might, we beg You, and come, that by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins and saved by Thy deliverance. Who lives and reigns forever. Amen.”

During the second week of Advent, the father prays: O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare for Thy only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be made worthy to serve Thee with pure minds. Who lives and reigns forever. Amen.”

During the third week of Advent, the father prays: O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Who lives and reigns forever. Amen.”

Finally, the father prays during the fourth week of Advent, O Lord, stir up Thy power, we pray Thee, and come; and with great might help us, that with the help of Thy grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. Who lives and reigns forever. Amen.”

Since Advent is a time to stir-up our faith in the Lord, the wreath and its prayers provide us a way to augment this special preparation for Christmas. Moreover, this good tradition helps us to remain vigilant in our homes and not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas.

Father's Table Grace

Father's Table Grace

As we sit at the table - our family's heads bowed low
My thoughts returned to childhood and the finest man I know.
He didn't speak eloquent English.  He was just a simple man
But when he's talking to the Lord, even a little child can understand.

I was young and restless but the thought still comes to me,
When I told my dad I felt I was old enough to leave.
He sat there at the table and a look came on his face.
And he never spoke another word til he said the table grace.

He said, our precious Heavenly Father - we're all gathered here today
To give Thee thanks for blessings so humble we pray.
My oldest son is leaving, but I'm sure he knows what's best.
But just in case would you stand by and help him stand the test.

Lord he's awful neglectful about church on Sunday morn
And if he gets with the wrong crowd, would you let him hold your arm?
And if he flies too high - would you clip his wings..
But don't let him fall too hard.  I'm sure Lord you can handle things.

I've tried my best from day to day to teach him right from wrong.
And he's grown to be a fine young man and he's always blessed our home.
We pray Thee Lord for guidance, that he won't build upon the sand.
But we won't worry half as much if we know he's in Your hands.

And oh yes Lord - it won't be long til I'll be coming home.
Don't make me wait too long.
We pray Thee Lord for guidance. Please cleanse us from our sins
So we can all be together in Heaven.  In Jesus' name Amen.

The table was silent as tears streamed down my face.
And from that day on I based my life on Father's Table Grace.

This is an old old song but I heard it a few days ago for the first time.  Of course what attracted it to me was the title "Father's Table Grace".  As I listened to it over and over, there were so many thoughts that flooded my mind.  My memories of daddy praying are at church when I was a very small child and there was a period of time when he gathered us all to the living room for family devotion.  He would kneel down and read scripture out of a Big Black family Bible we kept on the coffee table and then he would pray before we would go to bed.  Now that I look back on that, prayer was something daddy enjoyed and did mostly when he was alone.  I believe he felt it was a very personal time between him and the Lord.  However, I do have many, vivid memories of family dinners at the table at the end of our day.  We ate together everyday when I was growing up. I can see him in his white t-shirt, his hair wet and combed back, face shining.  I see him chewing and remember how he moved his food around his plate with his fork.  Daddy was a man of few words that spoke volumes of lessons!

Although this is just a song - IT speaks volumes.  The lesson that jumped out at me the first time I heard it - and I have listened to it over and over - is that the  son's life changed course because of his father and the prayer that he "heard" him pray.  Hearing his father pour out his love for him to our Father made an indelible mark on him that he could never escape.  Wow!  What a lesson for us!  Prayer shouldn't be a ritual but simply verbalizing our feelings to our best friend, Jesus.  And it not only impacts our lives but the lives of those who hear it.  I thought about Larry of course, since he is the oldest of our family.   We listened to this song together last night.  He bowed his head and even though I couldn't see his eyes, I believe I could read some of his thoughts.    I cherish moments like we shared then. We are prodigals.  Daddy was prodigal.  Same as eccentric!  Jesus was prodigal.  God is prodigal.  Did God not spend his resources freely and recklessly on us?  He gave His Son!!

 prod·i·gal

adjective

1. 1.

   spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.

   
   
2. 2.

   having or giving something on a lavish scale.

   
   

When the woman broke her alabaster box of oil on Jesus wasn't she recklessly extravagant?  While all the "religious" folks were saying how wasteful she was!  When it comes to Jesus and his purposes, we should be willing to do and give on a reckless scale!!!!

When I was typing the lyrics a new thought came to me.  When the father prayed he said "we".  It was about "we" -  family.  The less we use the word I, the better we are even in our prayers. How often are my prayers so encased with "I".

The Lord has been working with me about my prayer life for several months.  Like daddy, I mostly do it when  alone.  Keep it private. And  don't do it near enough.  And sadly it's too canned, formal and ritualistic. And somehow I have a mindset that I have to set aside time to pray.    I believe daddy (and the Holy Spirit) is telling me through this song - don't keep it so private!  It is the same as ignoring someone you love.  Acting like they don't exist. And that those I love need to hear it. It might change the course of their life.  So, if you hear me talking but you don't see anyone else around, just know that I am talking to my best friend Jesus.  Because He is always with me where ever I am.

I also have memories of walking up on daddy while he was working or doing a task and he would be talking and I thought he was just talking to himself.  :)

Intuition or Holy Spirit Led?

Recently I have been part of and overheard several conversations involving intuition vs Holy Spirit.  Then I saw some comments in a group on Face Book about trusting in your own intuition…higher wisdom…conscience... to lead you through life.  Some of the answers and comments I read were interesting and some concerning, but it certainly begs the questions…what exactly is “intuition”?   And is “being moral” an acceptable standard to God?  (Sacred Echo) 

God has given us common sense at birth.  We are born with it. (Granted, some more than others it seems).  As we age and mature, we develop the ability to use our five senses to discern a situation and act accordingly.  We “learn” our morals.  As Christians, after accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and receiving the Holy Spirit into our lives we then also have God’s direct guidance into our lives.  The Holy Spirit is God.  He takes up residence in us when we accept His gift of salvation.  When we receive new life from God our intuition is resurrected. 

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  John 14:26   Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  I Corinthians 6:19 

If we reduce the function of the Holy Spirit to either intuition or reasoning skills, we are denying that the Holy Spirit truly is the Spirit of God!

What then are people who are thinking in more “New Age” terms meaning when they say they are using their “intuition”? Essentially, they are using the term “intuition” to mean their higher self.  Trusting intuition in this way is a slippery slope.  Opening our minds in this way, we are susceptible to the deception of demonic spirit beings masquerading as angels of light. 

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

I Corinthians 2:14

To know things in our intuition is what the Bible calls revelation. Revelation is the Holy Spirit enabling a believer to apprehend a particular matter by indicating the reality of it to his spirit. God does not reveal himself via man's reasoning or rationalization.  The Holy Spirit enables our spirit.

So can I be just a "good moral person" and go to heaven?

No. To think that one can be saved as a good moral person is to think that one can be saved apart from the blood of Christ.  New birth is not just a term, nor is it purely a moral alteration but the life of God actually enters our spirit and quickens our intuition. 

Who defines "a good moral person"? In other words, how good is good? Is the standard different for each person? Most likely, in the eyes of the one who has determined for themself that that they are "good moral persons," it is a standard that each  has set for himself. Undoubtedly it has been set at a level that they know they can reach. If God is to determine that which constitutes a "good moral person," we have already failed the test, "for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  

I am a perfect sinner!