Advent 2018 | St. James Episcopal Church in Somerville, MA

It’s official! Advent 1 and 2 have come and gone. We are prepping for Christmas!

In some families, Christmas begins around Thanksgiving (sometimes after Halloween!)—the tree and twinkly lights go up, a shopping marathon starts, the thematic sweaters are pulled out of a back drawer. Others don’t celebrate Christmas until they observe and celebrate Advent.

An advent may be an arrival, an appearance, or a birth. In the Episcopal Church, Advent is the first season of the church year and includes the four Sundays before Christmas. It’s the time during which we prepare for Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

What can you say about the time before a birth (or, say, the New Year)? There’s a lot to do beforehand and anticipation climbs. At St. James, we begin counting down from the first Sunday in Advent. The service is different—we don’t process; we read the Decalogue; the first candle on the Advent wreath is lit. We start planning—we set dates and times, and draft announcements for, the greening of the church, for a Christmas Eve hymn sing and service, and plan refreshments for the reception that will follow.

As with the countdown to a due date or a new year, excitement builds. It’s a fun, a joyous, and a busy time. We would welcome your company as we celebrate. Won’t you join us this month as we prepare for the dawn of the Light of the World?

Advent 2, Holy Eucharist, 12/9, 10am
Advent 3, Holy Eucharist, 12/16, 10am
Advent 4, Holy Eucharist, 12./23, 10am
Greening of the church, 12/23, immediately following the 10am service. Wear your party hat. (Optional!)