ADVENT

Yesterday started the beginning of the Christian Year. This season is called ADVENT. Since some of you may not know about our Christian Year, I decided to write a couple of blogs about it. I will begin though by saying that not every Christian denomination follows the Christian Year. In my churches all through the years (Methodist and now Episcopal), we have followed the Christian Year---and I LOVE it. This first post will talk about Advent through Epiphany.

ADVENT begins our Christian year and includes the four Sundays before Christmas Day. Each of the seasons is represented by a specific color. The color of Advent is purple. Depending upon what day December 25th falls, Advent begins toward the end of November or the beginning of December. Advent is a time of anticipation and hope---and WAITING. Many churches light candles (Advent Wreath in my header) each week in anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many homes also have small Advent Wreaths signifying the season. Advent carols are sung.

Each Sunday during Advent, the candles are lit --adding one each week. The first Sunday of Advent, one of the purple candles is lit. This candle stands for HOPE. On the 2nd Sunday, two candles are lit. The second purple one stands for PEACE. On the third Sunday of Advent, the pink candle is lit. This candle stands for JOY (knowing the the birth of Christ is coming very soon). AND all four candles are lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent. The fourth candle stands for LOVE.

Everyone knows that Christmas is on December 25--but the season of CHRISTMASTIDE (liturgical color is white) goes from the 25th through January 5. During Christmastide, a large WHITE candle is lit signifying the birth of the Christ child. This is the 'official' Twelve Days of Christmas. This is why many Christians leave up their Christmas decorations until January 6.

EPIPHANY (using the liturgical color green) begins on January 6th. It is the time when the Wise Men visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. They followed the star--so the real significance of Epiphany is 'light.' The word Epiphany itself means "showing forth." The light from the Star of Bethlehem and the light of Christ spread throughout the world during Epiphany.

Epiphany is also a time to remember Christ's baptism--and our own, together with the ways in which Christ was revealed to humankind, especially in the healing miracles. It is a time to ponder the ways in which we ourselves are called to bring Christ to the world.

The number of Sundays in the Epiphany season varies from four to nine according to the date of Easter Sunday (which is a movable date derived from the lunar calendar). This year there will be six (January 7- Feb. 16).

I will present one more post on the Christian Year.. In the meantime though, Happy ADVENT. Let's all do what we need to do to anticipate the birth of Christ, which is the REAL meaning of Christmas.

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On another note, George and I had a wonderful hiking and 'waterfalling' trip... We saw at least 16 new waterfalls this past weekend. Below is one picture of the first waterfall we saw on Thanksgiving afternoon while visiting our good friend Reida. More pictures from our trip will be forthcoming.

Bays Mountain Falls (near Church Hill, TN)

Hope everyone had a great weekend ---and all of you have 'walked off' all of that big Thanksgiving feast!!!!
Hugs,

P.S. Be sure and read my "Thirty Days of Thanksgivings" on my sidebar --before I take it off.

Happy Thanksgiving

I would like to take this post to wish each of you a blessed and happy Thanksgiving this year. I have enjoyed writing my "I'm Thankful For..." all month and posting it on my sidebar. I hope you have been reading it. There are some 'big' thanksgivings and some tiny ones. I will continue to do this throughout November, and encourage you to do this next year, since it keeps the real meaning of being thankful on our minds ALL month, and not just for one ONE day.

After eating all of the Thanksgiving turkey and the trimmings, George and I will be going to the mountains of East Tennessee in order to do some hiking and 'waterfalling' for a few days. The weather may not cooperate though, since snow and cold rains are predicted!!!! Brrrrrr!!!!

I will take a blogging break ---and will be back (hopfully with great pictures) on Monday, Nov. 30. Today I leave you with a beautiful poem I found on the internet.

Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to God above,

Thanks for expressions of His love,

Seen in the book of nature, grand 

Taught by His love on every hand.


Let us be thankful in our hearts,

Thankful for all the truth imparts,

For the religion of our Lord,

All that is taught us in His word.

Let us be thankful for a land,

That will for such religion stand;

One that protects it by the law, 

One that before it stands in awe.

Thankful for all things let us be,

Though there be woes and misery; 

Lessons they bring us for our good-

Later 'twill all be understood.

Thankful for peace o'er land and sea,

Thankful for signs of liberty,

Thankful for homes, for life and health,

Pleasure and plenty, fame and wealth.

Thankful for friends and loved ones, too,

Thankful for all things, good and true,

Thankful for harvest in the fall,

Thankful to Him who gave it all.

~~Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer fl. 1907


Thanks again for all of the love and friendship I have found this past year since I joined Blogger (January of 2009). I feel so blessed to have met all of you!!!! Have a fabulous Thanksgiving including the weekend. I'll be back on Monday!!!!

Hugs,