Religious Education
Advent
The traditional Advent season invites participants into four weeks of deep reflection on the advent, or arrival, of God in Jesus of Nazareth, as well as on his promised return. From focused prayer and Scripture reading, to candled wreaths and embellished calendars, Advent celebrations vary widely. But all Advent practices share a heightened anticipation for God’s arrival. More than a countdown to Christmas, Advent embraces the way of Jesus and encourages hopeful waiting, courageous peace-making, resilient joy, and self-giving love in our still-suffering world.
What Is Advent?
The Advent season is a four-week period in the Christian calendar that prepares people for Jesus Christ’s birth at Christmas, while also pointing ahead to his promised return. Each Sunday of the season traditionally spotlights a key theme—like hope, peace, joy, or love—to invite reflection, prayer, and expectant celebration.
The Meaning and Significance of Advent
For many, “advent” means a countdown to Christmas. Whether we envision candy-filled Advent calendars or lights draped over houses with nativity scenes out front, Advent marks a happy season of celebrating.
But the word “advent” comes from the Latin adventus, which is about a “coming” or an “arrival.” The Latin translation of the New Testament uses adventus to describe God the Son arriving on Earth, born as Jesus of Nazareth during the 1st century C.E. (see Acts 7:52). Still, throughout Church history, Advent has more traditionally referred to Jesus’ future arrival, when he comes to complete his work of restoring all creation (see Matt. 24:27; 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 3:13).
The Advent season leads to the celebration of Jesus’ birth and also emphasizes his future arrival. It’s a season that includes practices like prayer, giving to those in need, and worship (plus more, depending on the tradition). And it reminds us that we’re living during the time between Jesus’ first and second advents, leading us to lament the hardships we experience in a still-broken world, while also forming us into people who wait with longing for the renewed world to come.
Celebrating Advent also means living into it by practicing a generous way of love and care for our neighbors as we partner with Jesus to bring peace on Earth.
The Four Weeks of Advent
In most Christian traditions, Advent is a four-week season of celebration and observation prior to Christmas, each week often focusing on a particular biblical theme. Although the selection and arrangement of themes can vary, these are some themes commonly explored during Advent.
· Week 1: Hope
· Week 2: Peace
· Week 3: Joy
· Week 4: Love
Hope
Sometimes hope feels wishful, like crossing our fingers and dreaming of a better outcome. We might hope for better employment, healed relationships, or a brighter future. But that kind of hope is based on things that may or may not happen. When things don’t go as we hoped, it can be crushing—our hope disappearing like vapor.
As a season of reflection and contemplation, Advent invites us to imagine a different kind of hope, rooted in the unchanging nature of God and his promise to restore every part of his creation. Advent hope does not minimize pain or difficulty, nor does it assume things will soon get better. Instead, it faces the darkness with courage and chooses to trust that God’s promises will come to pass, guaranteed by his long-proven, faithful character.
In the Hebrew Bible, the words most often used for hope—qavah and yakhal—are also translated as “wait.” To hope in God means to wait with patient expectation, trusting that he will fulfill his promises. This kind of waiting leans forward, anticipating the day when Jesus will return to make all things new. Such hope empowers people to persevere, to act justly, and to serve others as a sign of the restoration that will arrive through Jesus.
Sarah, Religious Education Leader