By Wendy Grisham

God is our refuge and strength

I was not raised in a Christian tradition that observed holy days, recognized the saints or learned the Liturgy. When I came back to my faith in my 30s, it was to an Anglican church that was pretty casual on these traditions as well. They were appreciated and honored, just not prioritized.

So I never really understood Advent. Apart from one of these posters with perforated little doors behind which you found really dodgy chocolates, I figured out that it was a count down to Christmas but that was about it for me.

I always, well not always, but for the last few years, knew it meant the lighting of candles at church and that it started four Sundays out from Christmas so you’d get one candle a Sunday. I also always checked to make sure the previous Sunday’s candle was lit. (There are certain little lists that I like to keep checked off in my head just to make sure everything is going according to plan.) Deeper than this very shallow level of understanding, I never really bothered to check.

It was about this time of year two years ago, when I was ill and thus found a lot of time on my hands, that I decided to dig a little deeper. Firstly, I learned that it is the beginning of the church year for most churches. But what really drew me in was this incredibly beautiful tradition, full of power and meaning and appreciation. The significance I came to apply to it is not just in the tradition of Advent and what it represents but also valuing the idea of the many generations of followers who have come before and concept that I join in their path and observe what they found so important.
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