Advent Services at Church of St. Alban

Sunday Dec. 2nd marks the start of the liturgical season on the Church calendar known as Advent.  Services will be at 8am and 10am.

Advent marks the beginning of the Church year and it encompasses the four weeks leading up to Christmas.  It is a penitential season in which we are called upon to reflect on who we are before God and in which we hear again the promises of the first and second comings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  One visual way that we are reminded of these promises is through the use of an Advent wreath and Advent candles.  Beginning on 12/2, you will notice that there is a wreath of candles at the front of the church, with three purple candles, on pink candle, and one white candle.  While there are several interpretations of the meanings of these candles, the basic idea is this: Hope (1st purple), Preparation (2nd purple), Joy (pink), and Love (3rd purple).  These candles correspond to the overarching theme of each week’s lessons.  The white candle is called The Christ Candle and is lit on Christmas Eve to remind us that the promised Christ has arrived in the birth of Jesus.

This being the case, our services will change slightly to reflect the penitential nature of the season. For the next four weeks, our liturgical color will change to purple, and we will begin our services using the Penitential Order found on pp. 319-321 and 351-353. In addition to this, an Advent Devotional will be available for free for each family containing Scripture lessons for each day along with a reflection based on one or more of the lessons. This is designed to help get you in the Advent (not Christmas) “mood” as we prepare for the Good News of the coming of our Savior. Please make a note to pick one of these up and please note these changes as we enter this blessed season.