“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:15
My family has many wonderful traditions that help define our holidays together. Everybody has their favorite foods to eat. Thanksgiving often starts with the kids watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The day often ends with watching the Dallas Cowboys… hopefully win. At Christmas, my family first enjoys Christmas Eve at St. Luke’s. I love to stay up late and watch Christmas Eve from the Vatican. Christmas Day starts with the joy of watching my daughters open presents under the tree. These practices that happen year after year are such a blessing and generate such wonderful memories.
2020 has changed a great many things. Many of our family traditions will not happen this year. I must admit it makes me extremely sad. However, there are many traditions that will take place this year, despite COVID-19. Many of our practices during this holiday season are designed to help us remember the wonderful things that God has done for us. We repeat these practices, year after year, to remind us of who God is and we repeat these practices to teach the next generation about how God has worked in the world throughout history.
One of the significant traditions that is practiced in our faith is the lighting of the Advent Candles. Advent is the four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve where Christians look, with hopeful anticipation, to the birth of the Christ. Each week during worship, we light a candle that helps us to recall a part of the journey that leads to the birth of Jesus. Each candle also reminds us of a gift that comes through the birth of Jesus, such as joy, peace, or hope.
Because this year is unlike any other, St. Luke’s has made the commitment to keep the tradition of Advent and lighting the Advent candles as a part of our family of faith. Although we will not gather like we have in the past, we will remember together all that God has done for us. Through the generosity of an anonymous giver, St. Luke’s has provided Advent Candles for every family. This practice will help us maintain our common faith, even when we are not in our normal worship settings.
Traditions are so important. It is my hope and my prayer that next year, we will be able to return to our many wonderful traditions. This year, I want to encourage you to make the practice of lighting the Advent Candles part of your tradition. If you have not already come by to pick up your family’s Advent Wreath, please do so. If you need to make arrangements to have one sent to you, please go the www.stlukesokc.org. Let us hold firm to the traditions that remind us of how good our God truly is to all of His Children. This year, let’s commit to reminding ourselves of the wonderful gift of Jesus and what his arrival means to our world.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
