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The Season of Advent is beautiful yet brief. It is followed by the even briefer season of Christmastide, a mere twelve days. And yet these two seasons together encompass some of the most important aspects of Christian belief. Expectation and hope. Incarnation. Locating grace and glory in weakness and tenuousness. Read below to learn more about the seasons, and how we celebrate them at St. Stephen’s
The Season of Advent
Advent is a season of hope. During this season we inwardly prepare for the in-breaking of divine love in the incarnation of Jesus Christ at Christmas. But it isn’t only our own hope that we pay attention to in this season. During Advent, we hear about God’s hopes for the world and consider how we might align our actions to those hopes. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes that the whole creation “waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God (8:20).” In Paul’s vision, Advent and Christmas are not just for people. They are not just for the shepherds and wise men but also the sheep and camels and the star in the east. In our time especially, Advent is a season for looking for the healing of both the nations and the planet.
We must be careful lest our longing rise only to the level of simply wishing that God would come rescue us. Genuine hope is full of expectation, not just longing. Wishing simply sighs and wants, but hope trusts that something will be fulfilled. Hope can be hard to access, especially in dark times. But there are hopeful signs everywhere, even if they often go unnoticed. In wintertime, things that were hidden by the lushness of summer become visible. In the clamor and rush of our daily lives, we might miss the many hopeful undertakings that good people everywhere are involved in. Advent slowness allows us to witness these things, and to praise them. It is a time when seeds germinate in good soil, when creatures find their rest, and when human souls quietly prepare to see and experience the miraculous.
Our Worship During Advent
With the changing of liturgical seasons, our worship changes as well. Our service begins with a Lucernaria. Christians around the world mark the four Sundays of Advent by lighting candles on an Advent Wreath. There are five candles: three purple, one pink, and one white. Purple (or blue) is the color of Advent because, like Lent, it is a penitential season. We light a new candle each week, as well as lighting the candles from the week before. We light the pink candle on the third Sunday of Advent, when the reading from Zephaniah breaks with the penitential nature of the season and loudly declares “Rejoice!” The white candle is in the center of the wreath, and is lit on Christmas Eve to symbolize God’s incarnation in the world.
The service continues with a song of praise. In other seasons this is a Gloria, a Trisagion, or a Kyrie. This Advent we are using Mary’s words of response to the Angel Gabriel when he tells her that she will give birth to the savior of the world. Mary’s words have become a canticle called The Magnificat.
The Christian year begins in Advent, and so we move from Year B to Year C in our three year cycle of readings. Year C mainly uses Gospel readings from Luke. Luke was a physician, a companion to St. Paul, and, according to tradition, a painter. Accordingly, his Gospel is full of vivid stories.
When we celebrate the eucharist during Advent, we use Eucharistic Prayer 2 from Enriching Our Worship. Enriching Our Worship is a series of books full of supplemental liturgical texts. They have been in use for thirty years, and our bishop has approved their use in our worship. Eucharistic Prayer 2 places a strong emphasis on Mary, Jesus’s mother. It was her act of courage and faith that led to the incarnation of Christ. May such courage and faith serve as an example to us today.
Please use this link to access the order of service. We encourage people to use the online order of service during worship, as part of our commitment to creation care.
Lessons & Carols
This Advent we are thrilled to offer a Lessons & Carols service on Sunday, December 14 at 5:00 PM. This is one of the most beautiful services of the Advent Season, and we are very glad that Luces Stellarum will be leading the music again this year. In addition, we will accompany the readings with poetry. For more than five years St. Stephen’s has had a poetry group of very talented writers; this Advent they have embraced the readings from Lessons & Carols and written some beautiful poems to be read alongside of them. The service will take place at 5:00 PM in the Sanctuary.
Join us!
Christmastide
We hold three services on Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Christmas Eve Family Service at 6:00 PM on December 24
A fun, informal service that centers around the Christmas pageant. Our children enact the Christmas story and a pick-up band leads carol singing. Then we all have communion together.
Carol Singing at 8:30 PM on December 24
Gather before the Midnight Mass to sing carols with the Davenport family.
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at 9:00 PM on December 24
Our most formal Christmas service, with full choir and Holy Eucharist.
Christmas Morning Service at 10:30 AM on December 25
Our least formal Christmas service, for those who don’t want to drive at night and don’t mind the rector’s awkward guitar playing.