Advent celebrations

What does your church do during Advent--the season leading up to Christmas where we commemorate the birth of Christ?

Both my new church and the previous one did the Advent candles.  Someone will have a programmed reading ready each week.  They read it and then light the candles.  I suppose it is meaningful to some if they grew up with this. I did not grow up with this practice, so I find it to be rather dull.  It feels more like man-made tradition as both of these churches I have been in hold on to this like some sort of "sacred cow".

Had I started this church, I probably would not have started this tradition.  But, when you go into a church that has a history of such a practice, you kind of feel like you have to go along with it just to keep the people pacified.

So, we will be doing the Advent candles each week with the final one on our Christmas Eve service.

What does your church do for Advent if anything?

I don't recall going to any church that did anything during Advent.  If the Baptist church I went to when I was very young did, I don't remember it.

Xid wrote:

I don't recall going to any church that did anything during Advent.  If the Baptist church I went to when I was very young did, I don't remember it.

Most of the Baptist churches I have been to did not do this.  But, these last two have.  Former pastors brought it in and then that sacred cow can't be put out to pasture.

Rooted traditions are hard to pull up.

We do it and it's great, it gives connections to the church past and it has great meaning.

I don't think I have been to a church that didn't do it. We also do it at home.

Not trying to fight here, so take this as an observation. We observe a of man made traditions around Christmas and hardly bat an eye but we seem to want to be Lone Rangers at Church. I find it kind of odd.

I've only been to one church that did any kind of advent service.  They did a "stations of the cross" event one night.  I thought it was really cool.

I went to a church that did the candle lighting and always thought it was a bit silly.  But just because it's a man-made tradition, I don't believe there's anything inherently wrong with it and see how it could be helpful in keeping focus on the "reason for the season" as they say.  The church we went to prior to moving to Idaho had a more involved advent celebration that was very carefully and intentionally made down to the choice of songs sang each week, etc.  That was fantastic and really helped bring in one's focus.  Our new church doesn't do anything out of the ordinary that I'm aware of which is fine too since it's very Gospel-centered every Sunday anyways.

Grew up Lutheran, and it was a staple tradition there. Left that behind in my teens and I don't think I've been to a church since that does it. (AG, Presby, Bapt, Nazarene, C&MA, etc.) Therefore I assumed it was a Lutheran thing, or maybe a holdover from Catholicism. 

My wife didn't grow up in church but has adopted the advent calendar (the kind with the daily reading or whatever) with the kids as a way to help them focus on the Reason for the season. I've had to explain to them what Advent means, and the liturgical calendar, etc.

alldatndensum wrote:

So, we will be doing the Advent candles each week with the final one on our Christmas Eve service.

You mean "The Christ Candle"?

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

alldatndensum wrote:

So, we will be doing the Advent candles each week with the final one on our Christmas Eve service.

You mean "The Christ Candle"?

Yes!

Here's a little history about the Advent wreath candles.

https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-do-the-candles-in-our-advent-wreath-mean

My church is doing nothing to celebrate Advent.

My deacon at church said he would put up the candles and Advent wreath last week.  He forgot to, so I prepared for naught.  He did say he would put it up this week and we could do two weeks at once.  So, I will be prepared.  If not, then we will skip this lighting of the Advent candles this year.

Oh, be sure not to catch your sleeve on fire while lighting the candles 

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

Oh, be sure not to catch your sleeve on fire while lighting the candles 

Oh, that part is easy.  I asked other people to do the readings and light the candles.



Besides, I rarely wear long sleeves.  I don't preach in a suit, so if the weather permits I like to wear either short sleeved button up shirts or a polo with slacks.

TtDR ruining all the fun.

Black Rider wrote:

TtDR ruining all the fun.

Nah, not really.  He didn't say I couldn't light bulletins and other things on fire! 

Xid wrote:

Rooted traditions are hard to pull up.

Nor should they be.

Many Evangelicals are against tradition, especially "the traditions of men", since they think Jesus was/is against them. This is not so, he was/is against any traditions that nullify the scriptures, that's it.

^True, though I'd add that while there's nothing inherently wrong with traditions, likewise there's nothing inherently true about them either, in a spiritual sense (outside of the sacraments listed in the Bible like communion, etc. of course).  I believe that's a point where Catholics and Protestants disagree, though correct me if I'm wrong.

Depends on what type of Protestant we're talking about, those from a liturgical tradition, (there's that word again!), tend to place a higher view on traditions, while those of a "low church" tradition do not.

"Sacrament", now there's another tradition that has varying value/beliefs on among Protestants. In fact, most Evangelicals don't see them as sacraments at all, but ordnances.

Pro-Zak wrote:

"Sacrament", now there's another tradition that has varying value/beliefs on among Protestants. In fact, most Evangelicals don't see them as sacraments at all, but ordnances.

This would be how I have been trained in my various church history and in seminary.  Ordinances are given to us a testimonies of our faith.  Sacraments seem to be an actual means of grace.  But, I haven't heard anyone call them ordinances in probably 15 years or more.