Advent + Christmas
“The Advent of our God shall be our theme for prayer.”
So begins an old French hymn, often sung in Lutheran churches. But what, really, IS the season of Advent?
Liturgically, Advent is a wintertime parallel to Lent: a season of fasting and prayer in preparation for the great feasts of Christmas and Easter.
Spiritually, though, Advent has its own unique focus upon waiting with patience and hope.
This spiritual focus has two parts: first, waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus (his first “Advent”); and second, waiting for his rule among us to be complete ( often called his “Second Coming,” or ”Manifestation”).
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