Candles.  Wreath.  The readings from Scripture.  Advent is a part of the church calendar, but not every tradition observes it in their worship services.

As a teenager, I began to take my faith more seriously.  I went to church whenever I could.  I joined the choir.  I attended a youth group and Bible study.  I paid more attention to what was going on in the services and began to wonder why things were done they way they were in various church groups.

The first Advent candle-lighting I observed was intriguing.  The minister in his black robe read Scripture.  He pointed out the three purple candles and what they represented.  The one pink candle stood for another theme.  And the white candle, pure and set apart, known as the Christ candle, represented Jesus the Christ.  Various members of the congregation would take turns lighting the candles on each of the Advent Sundays.  The darkened sanctuary with the glow of the Advent wreath made for a holy memory for me.

This season is a time of preparation as we come up on the event of Christmas.  

How are you preparing for Christmas?  Are you baking, shopping, cleaning, wrapping, decorating?  That is all part of the holiday and fun.

But the thing that really matters is the preparation of the heart.

"Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing..."  (Joy to the World)

If your church doesn't practice the observance of Advent, you can always do it on your own.  Look it up on the internet, see what supplies the Dollar Store can provide and make a special spot in your home to honour the coming of the Lord Jesus.