November 29, 2021
Dear friends,
Advent wreaths are a relatively modern tradition, only going back in America to about 100 years ago, but the church has always marked time and seasons one way or another. One of the legacies we enjoy from centuries of wholesome tradition is our lectionary: the readings that are assigned for the Sundays of the church year. Besides the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons that we read, there’s also an Introit for each Sunday. Traditionally, the Introit would have accompanied a procession into the sanctuary (introit is Latin for he enters). The Sundays of the church year are often named for the first line of the Introit.
So, here are the Sundays in Advent:
____ Advent 1 – Ad te levavi – “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.”1
____ Advent 2 – Populus Zion – “People of Zion, behold the Lord shall come to save the nations.”2
____ Advent 3 – Gaudete – “Rejoice in the Lord always.”3
____ Advent 4 – Rorate Coeli – “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness.”4
Advent 3 is a rose-colored Sunday because of that word “rejoice!”
To see how the whole season holds together, start with this: below are the Collects of the Day for the four Sundays in Advent. See what is similar among them and what differs from one to the next. These are beautiful prayers to make your own during these weeks as we prepare for the coming of our King and Savior!
____ Advent 1: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance.
____ Advent 2: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds.
____ Advent 3: Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation.
____ Advent 4: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy.
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
- Psalm 25:4
- A conflation of several verses from Isaiah 30. In our version of this Introit, we quote directly from Isaiah 62:11: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes.'”
- Philippians 4:4
- Isaiah 45:8
COMING EVENTS:
Choir rehearsal – Wednesdays, December 1, 15, and 22 @ 6pm
Midweek Advent Services – Wednesdays, December 1, 8, 15, and 22 @ 7pm
Budget/Election Meeting – Sunday, December 5 @ 11:30am
Family Night – Wednesday, December 8 @ 5:30pm
Elders/Council – Thursday, December 9 @ 6/7pm
Men’s Bible Study – Wednesday, December 15 @ 8pm