Advent
Advent is a season of four weeks including four Sundays. Advent derives from the Latin adventus, which means "coming." The season proclaims the comings of Jesus Christ -- whose birth we prepare to celebrate at Christmas, who comes continually in word and sacrament, and whose return in final victory we anticipate. Purple is the color for paraments, stoles, and banners. Other special symbols used at Reveille Church are the Advent wreath, an evergreen wreath with four purple candles and a center, white Christ candle, and the Chrismon tree, an evergreen tree covered with white monograms of Christ.
Special Advent services and activities include:
- Hanging of the Greens -- The special decorating committee decorates the sanctuary and narthex on the Saturday before the First Sunday in Advent.
- Service of Rememberance -- This service is held for all who have lost loved ones in the previous year and for whom the joyous nature of the season is difficult.
- Festival of Lessons and Carols or Christmas music -- The Reveille Chancel Choir leads this service of traditional carols and scripture, based on the famous King's College, Cambridge service.
- Children's Christmas musical -- The children's choirs and bells and the youth choir and bells present a program of seasonal music.
Christmas
Christmas is the season of praise and thanksgiving for the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, which begins with Christmas Eve and continues for twelve days through the Epiphany of the Lord (January 6). Colors for the season are white and gold.
Christmas services and activities include:
- Spontaneous Christmas Pageant -- Preschool children and their families are invited to participate in retelling the Christmas story and to share a birthday cake for Jesus.
- Christmas Eve services -- These are traditional, candlelit services of carols, scripture, and Holy Communion.
- Christmas Eve at The Point -- This is a special Christmas version of The Point, a modern, multimedia service, and includes Holy Communion.
Epiphany
Epiphany comes from the Greek word epiphania, which means "manifestation." Celebration of Ephipany of the Lord is even more ancient among Christians than Christmas. The celebration originally focused on the nativity, incarnation, and baptism of Jesus Christ. Today we celebrate the coming of the three wise men, who brought gifts to the Christ child. It is observed on January 6 or the first Sunday in January and is also known as Twelfth Night or Dia de Los Reyes. Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas cycle, which began on the First Sunday of Advent.