New Twist to an Advent Wreath

Blessings to you all during this Advent season.  I for one am struggling a little bit with that fact that we've already entered into Advent - it's not even December.  I had to preach at my church this past Sunday and having to vocalize what Advent meant to me and why it connected to hunger and justice helped me to see Advent with new eyes.  I've always struggled with what the "waiting" means in Advent.  Why do we wait?  Waiting seems so passive.  Aren't we supposed to be "living" our faith?  As I was reflecting on this (and doing some Internet research) it hit me, waiting doesn't have to be passive, we are called to be alert in our waiting.  Waiting also doesn't mean we stop working - if we believe that Advent is having hope in a God that hears the cries of those struggling and brings deliverance - then while we wait we also still work for justice.  Maybe this is clear to the rest of the world, but my own personal epiphany has made me thrilled about fully celebrating the meaning of Advent each of every day - I feel sort of liberated and renewed!

Okay, that was a long intro to get to my real reason for writing this.  Bread for the World has worked with several denominations to create a wonderful Advent resource.  One of my favorite pieces is the Advent wreath piece.  Instead of doing the usual Bible verse and little reflection, the reflections in this piece relate to current justice issues.  So this week for the first candle of hope, we remember the 40 million people living with AIDS in our world.  For me it makes the whole Advent wreath ritual relevant and meaningful to our world today, so check out the resource!