Blog Archives

Culture Focus: Advent

Last Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent according to the Christian liturgical (church) calendar.  Advent marks the start of the Christmas season.  The term “advent” comes from a Latin root meaning “to come” or “coming.”  In the Bible, the people of the Old Testament anticipated (looked forward to) the coming of a Messiah.  Christians believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and celebrate his birth at Christmas.  Hence, we call the four-week period before Christmas “Advent.”  In Christian churches it is a common practice to have an “Advent wreath.”  An Advent wreath is a horizontal wreath with four or five candles.  One candle is lit on the first Sunday in Advent, two candles are lit on the second Sunday, and so on, with the fifth and final candle (sometimes called the “Christ candle”) being lit on Christmas Day.

With the secularization of Christmas, there is not a great emphasis on the religious significance of Advent.  However, some of the anticipatory aspect is retained with the cultural tradition of an “Advent calendar.”  As you might imagine, children love Christmas, and they find it difficult to wait for the big day.  Twenty-five days is a very long time when you’re a child, especially if you don’t know how to read a calendar!  So to help children count down the days until Christmas, they use an Advent calendar.  An Advent calendar is a calendar with twenty-four “doors” representing the dates December 1 through December 24.  Every day starting at the beginning of the month, children count down to Christmas by opening up a door, revealing a picture, a poem, part of a story, or similar item to capture and hold the interest of the children.  Some calendars might even have a small toy or chocolate behind the door.

In America, a kind of “audio” Advent calendar is a radio program called “The Cinnamon Bear.”  First aired in 1937, “The Cinnamon Bear” is an old-fashioned radio show consisting of a series of 26 fifteen-minute episodes that ran daily from late November until Christmas Eve (December 24).  The story follows the adventures of twins Judy and Jimmy as they try to get the Silver Star to put on top of their Christmas tree.  Various things happen to the Silver Star – the Star gets lost or stolen by different characters – so each episode ends in a “cliff hanger,” which encourages the children to tune in the next day to find out if Judy and Jimmy will ever manage to get their Silver Star back so they can finish decorating their Christmas tree.  Some radio stations air this beloved program every year, starting just after Thanksgiving.  If you like, you can listen to the episodes here. It’s great listening practice for ESL!

Google

Writing Assignment: At a Church (Solution)

Listening to preaching
1.    Where is this picture taken?
This picture is taken inside a church.

2.    What are the people doing?
The people are sitting and listening to the man talk.

3.    Who is the man in the front?
The man in the front is the pastor (minister).

4.    What is he doing?
The pastor is talking.

5.    What kind of benches are the people sitting in?
The benches that the people are sitting in are called pews.

6.    What is the wooden lectern behind the man called?
The wooden lectern behind the man is called a pulpit.

7.    What kind of book might the people have with them?
The people might have a Bible with them.

8.    What kind of book might be in the people’s seat?
A hymnal (songbook) might be in the pew.

9.    What kind of music might there be in a church service?
In a church service there might be piano music, or organ music, or choir music.

10.    What kind of songs do the people sing?
The songs that the people sing are called hymns.  Sometimes they also sing praise songs.

11.    Who else might sing in church?
The choir might sing in church, or maybe a soloist.

12.    What part of the church are the people in?
The people are in the part of the church that is called the sanctuary.

13.    If you need help finding a seat, whom can you ask?
If you can’t find a place to sit down, you can ask an usher for help.

14.    What do people do when they go to church?
When people go to church, they sing songs, read the Scriptures, pray, and listen to the pastor talk.

15.    What can you read at a church to help you follow the different parts of a service?
You can read a bulletin to help you follow the different parts of a church service.

16.    Who does most of the talking at a church service?
The pastor does most of the talking at a church service.

17.    What is the pastor’s talk usually called?
The pastor’s talk is usually called a sermon.

18.    What is it called when people give money to the church?
When people give money to the church, it is usually called an offering.

19.    What does the pastor often do at the end of the service?
At the end of the service, the pastor often gives a short blessing, or benediction.

20.    What might the people do after the service?
After the service, the people might have fellowship together, eating doughnuts and drinking coffee, or even having a potluck dinner.

Paragraph:  At a Church Service

When you go to a church service, you are often welcomed at the door by greeters, or an usher.  They can help you to find a seat in the sanctuary, and will give you a bulletin for the service.  The bulletin has the order of the service, and it often has announcements and other useful information for the congregation (the people attending the church service).  Sometimes people are engaged in quiet contemplation before the service starts, but other people like to say hello to their friends.  Many times the organist or pianist will play a short piece of music just before the services starts.  This short piece of music is called a prelude.  Then the church service starts:  sometimes with a prayer, sometimes with a song, sometimes with a responsive reading or a call to worship.  After that, several songs or hymns are sung.  Then it is time for prayers to be said.  After prayers come some announcements, and an offering is taken.  Then the choir sings, followed by a brief prayer, and the pastor gives his sermon.  After the sermon generally comes another brief prayer, and a closing hymn.  Finally, the pastor dismisses the congregation with a blessing, or benediction.

Google

Writing Assignment: At a Church

Going to Worship
Vocabulary

pastor
minister
sermon
Bible
hymnal
hymn
sing
pew
usher
offering
offering plate
bulletin
aisle
pulpit
choir
sanctuary
organ
organist
piano
pianist
choir director
service
fellowship
cross
pray
prayer
communion / Lord’s supper
Lord’s prayer
creed
benediction

1.    Where is this picture taken?
2.    What are the people doing?
3.    Who is the man in the front?
4.    What is he doing?
5.    What kind of benches are the people sitting in?
6.    What is the wooden lectern behind the man called?
7.    What kind of book might the people have with them?
8.    What kind of book might be in the people’s seat?
9.    What kind of music might there be in a church service?
10.    What kind of songs do the people sing?
11.    Who else might sing in church?
12.    What part of the church are the people in?
13.    If you need help finding a seat, whom can you ask?
14.    What do people do when they go to church?
15.    What can you read at a church to help you follow the different parts of a service?
16.    Who does most of the talking at a church service?
17.    What is the pastor’s talk usually called?
18.    What is it called when people give money to the church?
19.    What does the pastor often do at the end of the service?
20.    What might the people do after the service?

Paragraph:  At a Church Service

Have you ever been to a Christian church service?  What was it like – inspiring, interesting, boring?  Were there a lot of people attending?  Write a brief paragraph describing a time you attended a church service, or some other religious service if you haven’t been to a Christian church.

Google