Advent

Related to exploring faith during Advent

  • Advent - A time of discovery

    12/23/2022
    Three pastors in pastoral robes facing each other in prayer

    St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Carmel, Indiana, is a teaching congregation. This means we periodically invest in student pastors by hosting them for a period of time. We welcomed Vickey Allen as our student pastor in the fall of 2022. Listen to her reflection on her short time with the congregation.

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  • Advent - What makes you feel love?

    12/18/2022
    Four white candles; all four are lit.

    Today, we prepare to light the Candle of Love.

     

    Imagine this: Over a hundred people, from the ages of two to eighty years old, were asked the question, “What makes you feel connected; what makes you feel Loved?” 

     

    Can you hear their pause when the question was posed? Can you feel your own response? 

     

    Stay with whatever is bubbling up within you as you contemplate what makes you feel connected and loved...

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  • Advent - What brings you joy?

    12/11/2022
    Four white candles; three are lit.

    Trusting hope and peace are present in this worship, consider this... Over a hundred people, from the ages of two to eighty years old, were asked the question, “What brings you joy?” 

     

    What would your answer be? Would you be able to respond? 

     

    From the voices of different generations, hear the answers that were shared when asked, “What brings you joy?

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  • Advent - What are you afraid of?

    12/04/2022
    Four white candles; two are lit

    Honoring the diversity of community and hopeful for a variety of responses, over a hundred people, from the ages of two to eighty years old, were asked the question, “What are you afraid of?”

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  • Bring your full self

    11/29/2022
    A single candle is lit with the words: You say, Bring your full self. There's room for you here. But we say, Our lives are too messy.

    On Sunday, November 27, 2022, we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent. It included this Prayer of Confession that leads with Bring Your Full Self. 

     

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Advent is a season of spiritual preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ (Christmas) and looks forward to the future reign of Christ. Eschatological expectation rather than personal penitence is the central theme of the season. Advent is a preparation for rather than a celebration of Christmas, so Advent hymns should be sung instead of Christmas carols. The first Sunday of Advent is not the beginning of the Christmas season. The Christmas celebration begins on Christmas Eve and continues for the next "twelve days of Christmas."

 

Purple is normally Advent's liturgical color, associated both with the sovereignty of Christ and with penitence. Deep Blue is also sometimes used to distinguish the season from Lent. As the color of the night sky, Blue symbolizes Christ who in one ancient Advent song is called the "Dayspring" or source of day. As the color associated with Mary, Blue also reminds us that during Advent the church waits with Mary for the birth of Jesus.