The Traditional advent Ring has 4 candles in a circle (often Red) with a larger White Candle in the Centre. It is surrounded with a ring of evergreen.

The 4 red candles stand for the 4 Sundays of Advent and the white Candle for Christ the Light of the World at Christmas.

Each Sunday at the beginning of the Service the candles are lit in rotation and a special prayer for each Sunday is said.

As with all Christian symbolism it is open to a variety of interpretations. A simple, yet profound one, is that the Ring, being a circle, reminds us of God and of his eternity; his endless mercy and his never ending love for us. This is symbolised by the ring of evergreen.

The Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of Jesus, His Son. We are reminded that Jesus is the light of the World who comes into our lives bringing newness, radiance, hope and grace.

Another way of using the candles is to link them to the Advent Scripture Readings.

The Gospel for this Sunday speaks of the Judgement of the World when the Christ will come in glory and bring to fruition the Kingdom of God. We are to be watchful, alert, awake and whatever darkness is in the world, our hearts are not to be weighed down or heavy. By prayer and through hope in God we are to stand with our heads raised because we are looking forward to Christmas when Christ, the Light of the World who burns away all darkness with His power of love, comes in the birth of Jesus. In that birth is our salvation and our hope.

We do not live in easy times but we stand in the world, even in its darkness and pain, as beacons of hope. Nothing can withstand the power of God to love and we are to be not only signs of that love but living examples of what love can do to change people’s lives.

Just as the fig tree and all the trees sprout new leaves and heralds summer, so our own lives are to be signs that God is coming to save His People.

If we are to be signs of that love then we need to attend to those things in our own lives which prevent that love from growing and which blurs the light of Christ from shining. As with Lent, Advent is a season when we turn aside from sin and turn back to God. Prayer, the study of Scripture, the reaching out to others in acts of self-giving service all prepare our hearts for the Christ-Child of Christmas. Winter is often a drowsy lack-lustre time. The world is physically as well as spiritually dark. We are to be energised by God’s love and be bearers of light and heralds of God’s Good News in Jesus Christ.

We are to be like the advent Candle—a light by which others can see God.