Dedication of the Advent Candelabrum
11 27 2005
The prophet Zechariah (1:10-11) said, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says God. Many nations shall join themselves to me on that day, and you shall be my people, and I will dwell in your midst.”
Since the ninth century in the western church, the season of Advent has been commemorated as a period of preparation for the birth of our Lord and the beginning of the church. From France, the Advent season spread to England in the seventh and eighth centuries.
The word, “Advent” means “to come to.” In Jesus, the Christ, we have Immanuel, “God with us.” Not only do we celebrate that God has come (past tense) to the world in Jesus Christ of Nazareth but also that God is come (present tense) as a spiritual reality and will come again (future tense) in triumph in the coming age. Because of Advent, we are not frightened children like in the night but we know that God has, is, and will come to us in Jesus, the Christ.
Advent, “to come to,” also means that we need “to come to” fully understand the significance of the incarnation of Christ and the many incarnations of Christ in our own lives. The Apostle Paul tells to be “awake from sleep, for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). All of us can wake up and become aware of God’s presence in our lives and in the world.
The four Advent Candles and the white Christ candle symbolize the meaning of Christ’s coming. The first candle celebrates the Hope that Jesus Christ brings to the world. The second candle celebrates the Peace that God promises will come in Christ. The third candle which is the rose one celebrates the Joy of every healing and renewal that is ours in Jesus Christ. The fourth candle celebrates Love which strengthened Mary and Joseph and the love that is ours in Jesus Christ. On Christmas Eve, when we light the white Christ Candle in the center, we proclaim, “Christ is born!”
When Christians use candles, we are reminded that while the world may be filled with struggles, when the night time is longer than our day time, or when we place candles on our windows to welcome the stranger in from the cold, we know that God is with us.
When Julia Lu would come to worship with the help from her son, Martin, she would always thank God for the goodness of life and sought God’s blessings for this church. She was like a brightly-lit candle whose life shone in the night and warmed everyone’s lives including mine with her glowing spirit.
From the generous gifts from her family, Martin Lu and David and Georgia Lu, we are happy to dedicate this beautiful Advent Candelabrum in loving memory of Julia Lu. Every year, we will be able to light these Advent candles and are invited “to come to” a deeper understanding of Jesus, the Christ in our lives and in the world.
Light the First Candle of Hope
Let us pray.
Loving God, we thank you for the life of Julia Lu whom we missed in our everyday living but we know in confidence is with you in heaven. When that day comes for us to become rejoined with our loved ones, we would rejoice in God’s promises. We are grateful for the love that her family has for this church to present to us a symbol of Jesus Christ and the promise of hope and blessings to come. As we prepare for Christ’s presence, help us to share hope with others so your hope for creation is fulfilled. Come into our lives, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.