GREGG’S GALLERY 

On the last Sunday of the Christian Calendar, Christ the King Sunday, I shared that the next Sunday, the first Sunday in Advent, we should say, “Happy New Year" and I was reminded that  “the members of the congregation already  think you are crazy and will take your greeting as confirmation that their worst suspicions are true."

There are plenty of calendars that shape our lives ... school calendars ... national calendars ... fiscal calendars ... planting and harvesting calendars ... even boating and fishing calendars. The church calendar organizes itself around Jesus. Which is why a "new year" is in order as we begin again our annual anticipation of Christ’s appearing; thus it is called Advent.  We even light colored candles each representing a theme for that Sunday; Anticipation - Purple, Preparation - Purple, Joy – Pink, Love & Peace –Purple.

Advent is the intended period of getting ready by getting clean (meaning lots of confessing, repenting, renewing, that sort of thing).  One theory as to why we light a pink candle on the third Sunday of Advent (instead of a purple one) is that no Christian can stomach four long weeks of penitence without a break. So the third Sunday represents a joyful respite in the middle of a sober and somber month.

Sadly, many feel that Advent is supposed to be sober and somber.  Children are the ones who have the right idea about it.  Most sense that December is not the time of year to be screwing up and causing problems with Christmas so close.  So we find guidance from the children as to the Joy we should be expressing in this season even if we really don’t understand why we light a Pink candle and refer to it as the “Candle of Rejoicing.”

Now, if you wrote in your name, you might begin to understand why we must not miss the opportunity to be absolutely “JOYFUL.”  Maybe we should just have a bunch of Pink Candles around all the time so when we light the Christ candle we might understand the Light.

Joyfully,

        Gregg