Advent A Time Of Preparation

Churchgoers Anticipate Birth Of Christ

Last updated Wednesday, November 26, 2008 6:30 PM CST in Religion

By Bettina Lehovec
THE MORNING NEWS

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Church Tone Subdued

Liturgical churches reflect the spirit of waiting in their sanctuaries. Greens replace flowers on the altar. Candles are purple and blue. The tone is subdued, the church less decorated than most of the year. Christmas carols aren't sung until Christmas Eve.

The understated observance is "a bit counter culture," Grisham concedes. It can be hard to reconcile the ethos of waiting with the flurry of activity in the secular world.

The wait is worth it, he believes. The contrast on Christmas Eve -- when the church is decorated with lights, red poinsettias line the altar and carols are sung for the first time -- "just makes Christmas explode."

Other churches blend Advent themes with the holiday gaiety already under way. Merchandisers start hanging lights and playing carols in November. By Christmas Day -- the beginning of the Christmas celebration in liturgical churches -- people are sated.

"It's a struggle," said the Rev. David Bentley, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Rogers. "A struggle between the way the church wants the message delivered and the way it sneaks in before Christmas."

His congregation resists singing carols for the first week or two of December, but incorporates the much loved songs before Advent is over, he said.

Lighting the weekly Advent candles during Sunday worship helps establish a sense of waiting, Bentley said. So does the practice of slowly moving the pieces of the nativity scene to the front of the church.

"In our worship, we try to build a sense of expectation (for the coming of Christ) that bursts upon us on Christmas Eve."

Keeping Christ Center Place

Some area churches will host a "hanging of the greens" Sunday.

Greens are a universal feature of the Christmas season, symbolizing everlasting life and the unchanging nature of God.

Decorating the sanctuary as a congregation is an opportunity to reflect on Christmas themes, said the Rev. Henry Hensley, pastor of the Judson American Baptist Church in Bella Vista.

"The poinsettias, the holly, the ivy, the tree itself all have meaning," he said. "Rather than just coming and decorating the church, we make it part of the service itself. That way, we can revisit the symbolism of all those things we use to decorate."

Bella Vista Christian Church encourages members to purchase a table top Advent calendar for their homes. The calendar combines Scripture with daily readings and family friendly activities.

"The goal is to keep Christmas in some kind of a center place in Christ's followers' homes," said Ron Carter, pastor of the church. "It gets very blurred at this time of year. People are running, shopping, going. It's a race. They're exhausted. When the season is over, they've missed why this is here."

People yearn for a deeper sense of meaning, Carter said.

"The items on our Christmas list don't matter as much as hearing someone say, 'You matter to me.' For most of us, that's the longing of our heart. Peace, security, hope -- (that's what's important)."

Special mid-week services offer an oasis in a stressful time, said the Rev. Sandra Wanasek, associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Rogers. The church began a Wednesday night Advent service last year.

"It's a crazy time," she said. "(The season) has become less a time of preparation and looking for the coming than it is looking for Santa.

"People need to just sit still -- sit and listen."

The economic uncertainty the nation is facing will likely heighten the need for spiritual renewal, she said.

"There will be people without work, people worried about not having work. They may need this right now."

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