Making Space – An Advent DevotionalSample

The Mystery Of The Mismatched Candles 

I grew up attending a traditional church. It was a beautiful 200-year-old building, with a domed ceiling of ink-blue dotted with gold stars, and a tall steeple that elegantly pierced the sky. We rose to sing hymns and were told to “please be seated” when we were done singing.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, a “member of the congregation” would be called upon to light the Advent candle. I don’t know if the pastor explained the significance of the same. I was young - and distracted by the fact that the pink Advent candle looked so out of place. Surely, the church could have taken some money out of the velvet offertory bags to make sure that the candles matched! Three purple candles and one somewhat abruptly pink one threw my aesthetic sense off kilter.

Imagine my surprise when I later discovered that churches across the globe seemed to have severely limited candle budgets and a defunct aesthetic sense. (Ahem). Yeah, the pink candle was intentional. 

The pink candle. After some research, I discovered that it represented the joy of the Season. 

But what comes before it are purple candles symbolizing hope and preparation. Yes, Advent is a time of rejoicing. But it’s also about preparing our hearts through repentance. Without repentance, our joy is muffled, a washed-out version of what it could be.

This Advent, let’s come before Him with repentant hearts, preparing the groundwork for the joy that will flood our souls at His coming!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, so often I tend to ignore my sin and sweep it under the carpet. But this season of preparation, help me to offer my heart up to You in repentance. Thank You for the joy of the season and for the incredible privilege of sharing in that joy! Amen