The Advent Wreath and the Meaning of the Four Candles
The four candles represent the four virtues—hope, love, joy, and peace--Jesus brings with his coming; the middle candle (white) is referred to as the Christ candle lit on Christmas Eve.
In 16th-century Germany, as the Reformation began to take shape following Luther’s nailing of the 95 theses, certain practices were added to the Church in response to the superstitious rituals of the Roman Church. The Reformers wished to put tangible things that would remind/restore the imagination to more noble activities of the church. The Advent Wreath was one of those practices. It was a way to count down to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The Advent Wreath is a Reformation addition to church life. “The wreath is made out of evergreens in the shape of a circle to represent eternal life.”
The four candles represent the four virtues—hope, love, joy, and peace--Jesus brings with his coming; the middle candle (white) is referred to as the Christ candle lit on Christmas Eve. The meaning of each candle has changed a bit over time, but the idea of the first four candles representing the gifts Christ brings on his arrival is still fairly common.
The first candle—usually called the candle of hope—will be lit to represent our expectation of the coming Messiah. We enter into that story following the lives of our forefathers as they hoped for a true Messiah who would deliver them from their sins. But we are not only re-living first-century expectations; we also expect Jesus to come for us today in our day-to-day mess and deliver us from our sins.
These virtues are essential to the Church when everything seems dark, destruction seems near, and the world seems hopeless. J.R.R. Tolkien had a term for this. The English writer spoke of the eucatastrophe: the sudden happy turn in a story that pierced you with joy.
Advent calls us into the presence of our God, who transforms our deepest longings into everlasting pleasures and fills us with hope. He is the eucatastrophe of the Father; through him, the world experiences the sudden happy turn in a story, and that story will pierce us with his joy.
Addendum
Our family usually places the advent wreath at the table, and after dinner, we turn off some of the lights. We allow one child to light the candle for the week and blow it off after each gathering. We then do our Advent reading, often with a hymn/psalm, and close with prayer. It may last 10-15 minutes. In my estimation, the shorter, the better.
Nuntium
We are headed for my final trip of the year. Melinda and I will attend the annual Center for Cultural Leadership colloquium. I told someone this week that I go to conferences for fellowship and rarely hear the lectures with intense attention. I usually do that later in the comfort of my office. But CCL is an exception. I love the friendships but appreciate the concise talks (usually 20-25 minutes) and the discussions afterward. While this group grows, there is still a sense of intimacy and camaraderie.