PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS BETHEL SETS FOUR-SUNDAY OBSERVANCE FOR ADVENT.Byline: HOLLY J. ANDRES Staff Writer SUN VALLEY -- The quest to make the perfect Christmas experience is under way and maybe, this year, for once, the feverishly planned-for day will be the merriest ever. But will it really be ``The Christmas You've Always Longed For?'' That's the question That's the Question is an American quiz game show on GSN, hosted by game show veteran and former Entertainment Tonight reporter, Bob Goen, which premiered in October 2006. Bethel Christian Reformed Church Christian Reformed Church, denomination formed after the secession of a group from the Reformed Church in America in 1857. Colonists from Holland who began settling in Michigan in 1846 generally became members of the Reformed (Dutch) church there. will address during the holy season of Advent that begins Sunday. ``Advent is a time of preparation and part of the ancient church calendar. In the days prior to Christmas, we prepare our hearts to receive the gift, Jesus Christ Jesus Christ: see Jesus. Jesus Christ 40 days after Resurrection, ascended into heaven. [N.T.: Acts 1:1–11] See : Ascension Jesus Christ kind to the poor, forgiving to the sinful. [N.T. ,'' said the Rev. Gary Stevens
Stevens will be discussing Advent during the four Sunday Advent services by using the word ``Peace'' as an acrostic acrostic (əkrŏ`stĭk), arrangement of words or lines in which a series of initial, final, or other corresponding letters, when taken together, stand in a set order to form a word, a phrase, the alphabet, or the like. -- Prepare your heart; Exalt the Lord; Arrange your life; Celebrate Christ; and Enjoy Christmas -- for the sermon on Christmas morning. The Advent sermon series at Bethel Christian is designed for people who don't observe Advent and who seek a Christmas that goes beyond a wrapping paper-strewn family room. ``There is no joy of Christmas unless you're ready to receive God and most of us aren't ready to receive God,'' Stevens said. ``The reason why, I think, is because we're very focused on our work, our family and ourselves. That's not to discount those obligations, but sometimes we can't focus on something greater. We're here for a bigger purpose than building up our material things, power or fame.'' Each Advent Sunday service at Bethel Christian will begin with a lighting of the Advent wreath An advent wreath is a ring or set of four candles, usually made with evergreen cuttings and used for household devotion by some Christians during the season of Advent. Many churches illuminate these candles in succession through the four weeks leading up to Christmas as part of candle appropriate for that week. The candles, by tradition, are purple for the first two weeks, then one pink candle and back to purple on the fourth week. A white candle is placed in the center of the Advent wreath and lighted at the Christmas service. The four candles The Four Candles sketch, originally titled The Hardware Shop is a sketch from the BBC comedy Two Ronnies. Written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonym of Gerald Wiley. It was first broadcast on Saturday, September 4 1976 on BBC1. themselves symbolize faith, hope, love and joy. Advent wreaths are also used at home and it is customary to light the candle of the week each night until the following Sunday, when the next candle is illuminated. ``Advent is about longing. To me, it's a centering time when I examine the things in my life, the dark places and the disappointments that are in the world,'' said Kathy Klaasen, a deacon at Bethel Christian and a member since 1973. ``I think you can compare Advent to the waiting of a pregnancy or to a butterfly emerging from a cocoon cocoon: see pupa. . They require patience. There is a spirit of anticipation during Advent that is very sweet,'' Klaasen said. ``This can be a time of spiritual growth. When Christmas comes, you're ready.'' Over the years, Klaasen's family has used an Advent wreath and an Advent calendar Advent calendar n → calendrier m de l'avent Advent calendar advent n → Adventskalender m Advent calendar n that counts down the days until Christmas. The family made it a practice to sit together every night during Advent to read prayers or verses from the Bible or some other source that centered on the Christmas story. ``If you haven't been observing Advent, I would start out simply at home by displaying a creche, the manger scene,'' said Klaasen. ``It's a picture in front of you and it can stimulate talking about Christmas in a bigger (way) than focusing on the gift-giving.'' Bethel is affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in America, which has its historic roots in the Dutch Reformed Church Dutch Reformed Church: see Reformed Church in America. in the Netherlands. The multiethnic mul·ti·eth·nic adj. Of, relating to, or including several ethnic groups. Adj. 1. multiethnic - involving several ethnic groups multi-ethnic congregation, celebrating the church's founding 75 years ago next year, uses a blend of traditional and contemporary elements in the service and music. ``I hope people will leave on Sunday thinking that they don't have to be part of the rat race, making the mad dash and doing too much to not being able to enjoy this time,'' Stevens said. ``I hope they can refocus and spend some time knowing that God is coming to them in their heart and that they are not walking this earth alone.'' ``The Christmas You've Always Longed For,'' a four-week Advent sermon series, will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday, Bethel Christian Reformed Church, 10725 Penrose St., Sun Valley. Christmas service at 9:30 a.m. Call (818) 767-4488. holly.andres(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3708 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) ``The Christmas You've Always Longed For'' is the Advent theme for the Rev. Gary Stevens of Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Sun Valley. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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