Week 1, Monday: What's In A Name?

Read Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah lists several names/roles of Jesus. He offers the wisdom of a Wonderful Counselor. The strength of a Mighty God. The protection and provision of an Everlasting Father. The security and assurance of the Prince of Peace. Is there one of those roles that you are needing him to fill for you personally right now?

Week 1, Sunday: The Prophets

Long before Jesus was born, God's prophets began talking about him. This continued right up until the time Jesus came into the world, with the angel Gabriel telling Mary what was about to happen. Although they had to wait many years for the Messiah to come, God never left his people without hope for a better future.

Read Isaiah 7:14 See also Matthew 1:22-23

Immanuel means "God with us". How does it change things that Jesus was God come to earth? What difference does it make that he was no longer just "up in heaven" somewhere? Have you ever been aware of God being with you in a real way?

O come, o come Emmanuel
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lowly exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel video

Creating an Advent Wreath

An Advent wreath consists of five candles. One candle is lit each of the four weeks prior to Christmas, and the final candle is lit on Christmas Eve.

The first four candles are all the same color. The fifth candle, which is placed in the middle, is called the Christ candle and is a different color.

Typically, each candle is assigned a theme (the candle of hope, the candle of love, the candle of peace, etc.). Sometimes each candle is assigned a character from the Christmas story (the joseph candle, the mary candle, etc.).

So here's how this works: Each evening of the first week of Advent, you light just the first candle of the wreath. On the second week, you light the first and second candles each night, and so on through the rest of the weeks. Only on Christmas Eve do you light the Christ candle, signaling the arrival of the light of the world.

Advent for 2009 begins on November 29th. New Day will have candles available that Sunday to help you get your wreath started. We will also begin our daily posts that day, providing suggestions for reflection and discussion.

A Little Background

New to the whole concept of Advent? Here's some info to get you up to speed.

Many centuries ago, Christians around the world began setting aside time before Christmas to reflect on the meaning of Christ's birth. The word advent simply means "arrival." In church settings, the way to do this has been to set aside the four Sundays prior to Christmas Eve.

Families and individuals often celebrate Advent at home as well. This usually centers around an Advent wreath with candles, as well as readings, prayers or songs that follow the story from the Bible.

In the next blog, we'll talk about creating your own Advent wreath and starting the tradition in your own home.

Coming Soon -- The Advent Blog

Every year, New Day has offered resources for individuals and families wanting to celebrate the Advent season. This year, we've decided to do so via a blog. Why you ask? Because a blog gives us the advantage of pulling in various multi-media. People can also subscribe to it and get reminders on a daily basis. Plus, it saves on trees and is something that can be shared with a wider audience.

So, just after Thanksgiving, we will begin a daily blog that will run through Christmas Eve. We'll include Scripture passages, questions for discussion and links to additional resources that will enhance your enjoyment and understanding of Christmas. And if you have any suggestions or feedback, feel free to comment along the way.

Merry Christmas!