Monday Memories
Advent Memories~
These are just tid bits of remembrances and stories related to Advent~
I grew up in a big, beautiful Lutheran Church known for it's gothic architecture and large stained glass windows. This is the setting of many Advent and Christmas memories, fitting since I first learned about Advent within it's "Indiana Limestone" walls. (My favorite art teacher from Indiana told me that is where they got the limestone for my church~she was from Indiana.)
We always had large Advent wreath suspended from the ceiling near the pulpit. My earliest memory recalls the candles were white or red. I do clearly remember when they switched to three blue and one pink. I also remember the advent of the "Christ Candle" which was placed on a stand next to the pulpit.
As I grew older, I heard stories from acolytes that they were afraid they would light the wreath itself as it was tricky to reach the candles with the candle lighter and snuffer. We had the traditional brass combination candle lighter and suffer on a long pole, but some of the acolytes were on the short side. One of my old friends told me once when he was "serving" at the Catholic church of his childhood that he once lit all the candles on the first Sunday of Advent. Yikes.
Music was a huge part of my life and the life of my church. We had a real pipe organ and organist who knew that he was blessed in his capacity at that church. Our choir was especially suited to the church and its organ as well. While some churches in our community paid their choristers, ours consisted of our own members who also sang in additional choral groups about town. Looking back, I know I was incredibly blessed by that. God and and Music were inseparable in my heart and mind. During Advent, each year as the Prophecy Candle was lit on the first Sunday of the season, we sang Come, O Come Emmanuel. To this day, it is one of my favorites in it's mysterious minor key. I have a beautiful recording by country singer John Berry that always gives me chills.
The thing I always remember about that beautiful hymn, however is my dad's unique rendition one year when I was probably a teen. With the exception of playing the cornet in the high school band circa. 1950's, my dad is the one in our family without any substantial musical training. He is also the one gifted with the strongest and usually well-pitched voice. One year, we had the words printed in the bulletin rather than using our hymnals:
O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransome captive Israel...
REFRAIN: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
My dad, in his stong baritone enthusiastically sang, "REFRAIN, Rejoice!....
I know my family was not the only ones to hear his interpretation that day, but we are the ones to make part of Advent legend. Each year, just like the regular lighting of the Advent candles, I retell the tale and my brothers and I laugh a good laugh and my dad, in his good humor snickers along.
My dad also liked to quote his old pastor from St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church of Dover, Ohio. Dad always called it an "ADVEN TREATH" and gave credit to his old pastor each and every time he mentioned the item in conversation.
One Advent story is really catty and dumb, but my husband remembers it each year with glee. During Advent in 2001, my husband and I were pretty serious about marriage. However, his ex-girlfriend was active in our singles Sunday School class and still carrying a torch of sorts for him. They only dated a couple of months, so I was trying not to think much of it. She invited me to Ann Arbor to sing in a Messiah sing along and we did have a nice time. I was a bit unsettled in her attempts to befriend me, but I was sort of new to the group, so I tried. She was also trying to maintain a friendship with my boyfriend and called him frequently. (He'd get off the phone and call to report it all to me.) Once she called to tell him her kitchen had caught on fire. In my mind this was pretty serious stuff, but he laughs because the reason her kitchen caught on fire was because she left her house while Advent wreath candles were still lit. So, to this day, I never, ever, ever leave my Advent wreath unattended while a candle is burning. I mean I literally light it and watch it the whole time. I don't even turn around to pick up my devotional or anything. (I'm extremely cautious around flame anyway, but if my ADVENT wreath would be implicated in any kind of fire emergency, I don't know...)
I've always loved the traditions associated with Advent practice of lighting Advent candles. After my daughter was born in 1997, I first purchased my own small wreath and attempt to honor the season with devotions and candles since that time.
Last year, our church began a yearly tradition on the first Wednesday before the start of Advent to make an Advent wreath together. Along with my two daughters and husband, I participated last year and together with our brothers and sisters in our congregation made a beautiful Advent wreath. Following a soup and salad meal, my husband wrapped an evergreen garland around a straw wreath and my big girl decorated it with purple and gold flowers. (I'm usually the crafty one, but my little girl was sitting on my lap and I was busy keeping her interested in watching the process.) The candle holders were hot glued by some men of the church. While the glue was left to set, we had a time of worship with prayers, lessons, and songs. We then placed our purple (3) and pink (1) candles into the wreath and lit the first one together as a family. We were given a list of devotions and Advent questions to consider as a family at home each night. It was a wonderful and meaningful experience and I'm trying to continue my advent practices this year as a respite from the rush.
I always seek HIM, so I'm always celebrating Advent, but this time of year I connect with Christians everywhere, past, present, and future. Bound by tradition, four candles of hope, peach, joy, & love, culminating with Christ and HIS light!
These are just tid bits of remembrances and stories related to Advent~
I grew up in a big, beautiful Lutheran Church known for it's gothic architecture and large stained glass windows. This is the setting of many Advent and Christmas memories, fitting since I first learned about Advent within it's "Indiana Limestone" walls. (My favorite art teacher from Indiana told me that is where they got the limestone for my church~she was from Indiana.)
We always had large Advent wreath suspended from the ceiling near the pulpit. My earliest memory recalls the candles were white or red. I do clearly remember when they switched to three blue and one pink. I also remember the advent of the "Christ Candle" which was placed on a stand next to the pulpit.
As I grew older, I heard stories from acolytes that they were afraid they would light the wreath itself as it was tricky to reach the candles with the candle lighter and snuffer. We had the traditional brass combination candle lighter and suffer on a long pole, but some of the acolytes were on the short side. One of my old friends told me once when he was "serving" at the Catholic church of his childhood that he once lit all the candles on the first Sunday of Advent. Yikes.
Music was a huge part of my life and the life of my church. We had a real pipe organ and organist who knew that he was blessed in his capacity at that church. Our choir was especially suited to the church and its organ as well. While some churches in our community paid their choristers, ours consisted of our own members who also sang in additional choral groups about town. Looking back, I know I was incredibly blessed by that. God and and Music were inseparable in my heart and mind. During Advent, each year as the Prophecy Candle was lit on the first Sunday of the season, we sang Come, O Come Emmanuel. To this day, it is one of my favorites in it's mysterious minor key. I have a beautiful recording by country singer John Berry that always gives me chills.
The thing I always remember about that beautiful hymn, however is my dad's unique rendition one year when I was probably a teen. With the exception of playing the cornet in the high school band circa. 1950's, my dad is the one in our family without any substantial musical training. He is also the one gifted with the strongest and usually well-pitched voice. One year, we had the words printed in the bulletin rather than using our hymnals:
O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransome captive Israel...
REFRAIN: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
My dad, in his stong baritone enthusiastically sang, "REFRAIN, Rejoice!....
I know my family was not the only ones to hear his interpretation that day, but we are the ones to make part of Advent legend. Each year, just like the regular lighting of the Advent candles, I retell the tale and my brothers and I laugh a good laugh and my dad, in his good humor snickers along.
My dad also liked to quote his old pastor from St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church of Dover, Ohio. Dad always called it an "ADVEN TREATH" and gave credit to his old pastor each and every time he mentioned the item in conversation.
One Advent story is really catty and dumb, but my husband remembers it each year with glee. During Advent in 2001, my husband and I were pretty serious about marriage. However, his ex-girlfriend was active in our singles Sunday School class and still carrying a torch of sorts for him. They only dated a couple of months, so I was trying not to think much of it. She invited me to Ann Arbor to sing in a Messiah sing along and we did have a nice time. I was a bit unsettled in her attempts to befriend me, but I was sort of new to the group, so I tried. She was also trying to maintain a friendship with my boyfriend and called him frequently. (He'd get off the phone and call to report it all to me.) Once she called to tell him her kitchen had caught on fire. In my mind this was pretty serious stuff, but he laughs because the reason her kitchen caught on fire was because she left her house while Advent wreath candles were still lit. So, to this day, I never, ever, ever leave my Advent wreath unattended while a candle is burning. I mean I literally light it and watch it the whole time. I don't even turn around to pick up my devotional or anything. (I'm extremely cautious around flame anyway, but if my ADVENT wreath would be implicated in any kind of fire emergency, I don't know...)
I've always loved the traditions associated with Advent practice of lighting Advent candles. After my daughter was born in 1997, I first purchased my own small wreath and attempt to honor the season with devotions and candles since that time.
Last year, our church began a yearly tradition on the first Wednesday before the start of Advent to make an Advent wreath together. Along with my two daughters and husband, I participated last year and together with our brothers and sisters in our congregation made a beautiful Advent wreath. Following a soup and salad meal, my husband wrapped an evergreen garland around a straw wreath and my big girl decorated it with purple and gold flowers. (I'm usually the crafty one, but my little girl was sitting on my lap and I was busy keeping her interested in watching the process.) The candle holders were hot glued by some men of the church. While the glue was left to set, we had a time of worship with prayers, lessons, and songs. We then placed our purple (3) and pink (1) candles into the wreath and lit the first one together as a family. We were given a list of devotions and Advent questions to consider as a family at home each night. It was a wonderful and meaningful experience and I'm trying to continue my advent practices this year as a respite from the rush.
I always seek HIM, so I'm always celebrating Advent, but this time of year I connect with Christians everywhere, past, present, and future. Bound by tradition, four candles of hope, peach, joy, & love, culminating with Christ and HIS light!
posted by Susan at 11:39 AM
1 Comments:
This is a lovely memory. We had a similar problem last week in church with the Rejoice--the pastor inserted some scripture between verses, but the congregation wasn't quite with him.
Be sure to add the Monday Memories technorati tag to this so people can find you. Since there is no hostess anymore we sort of are running this without a leader.
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