ing YoucannothelpbutnoticethatthingsarelookingalittledifferentinHongKongatthemoment.Itallstartedafewdaysagoandwillpickupspeedoverthenextthreeweeks.I’mreferringofcoursetoalltheChristmasdecorationsthathavesuddenlyappearedinshoppingcentrearcadesandalongthestreetsfromCausewayBaytoCentral.ShopwindowsarebeingadornedwithChristmasdecorations;tinsel,glitter,bells,angels,holly,FatherChristmas,reindeer,thelistgoeson.InthefirstdaysofChristmasdecorationtimeitcanbequitehazardouswalkingaroundtown,withsectionsoffootpathsandwalkwaysropedoffasworkmenoncranescarefullyhangthelargerdisplaysfromarcadeceilingsandalongthestreetfrontagesofshops.Infact,asIwaswalkingthroughPacificPlaceonSaturdaymorningIcamefacetofacewithasnowman;pletewithhat,scarfandbrightorangenose.Hewasbeingtransportedonatrolley,destinednodoubtforaprimepositionoutsideoneofthelargerstores.Themessageiswellandtrulyoutthere;Christmasing. TherehavealsobeenpreparationsforChristmashappeninghereatschool.LastFridayeveningweturnedontheChristmaslightsabovethemainentranceonBonhamRoad;aChristmastreeingreenandyellowlights,pedwithagoldenstarandframedwithblueandredsnowflakes.Offtoonesideisa155thanniversarybanner,tastefullywritteninredlights.Furthermore,boxesofSt.Paul’sCollegeChristmascards,designedthisyearbyAuKwongYuinForm5D,havebeendeliveredtotheCollegeOffice.Atsomestageduringthenexttwodays,theChristmastreewillarrivehereintheHall,tobedecoratedbymembersoftheChristianUnion.I’venodoubtthatmanyofyourteacherswillalsobelookingatwaysofbringingtheChristmasstorytoyourclassrooms.Themessageiswellandtrulyoutthere;Christmasing. YouwouldhavealsonoticedsomesignificantchangesinChurchyesterday.Thecolouroftherobeswornbythepriestshaschangedfromredtopurple.ThecongregationshavestartedtosingChristmascarolsandthechildrenattendingSundayschoolhavebeenmakingChristmaspresents.InchurchesacrossHongKongandaroundtheworld,everyoneisgearingupforthebigevent.Themessageiswellandtrulyoutthere;Christmasing. ThebeginningofDecemberisthestartoftheNewYearfortheChristianChurch.Yes,theChristianChurchhasacalendaryear.Ratherlikeaschoolyear,theChristianyearisdividedintofourterms,referredtoas;Advent,Death,Resurrection,andHeavenandHell.Indeed,youmightbetemptedtodrawsomeparallelsbetweenthefourpartsofourschoolyear,FirstCoursework,Mid-YearExamination,SecondCourseworkandtheFinalExamination,withAdvent,Death,Resurrection,andHeavenandHell.TheChurchNewYearmencedandyesterdaywasthefirstSundayinAdvent. ThewordAdventisderivedfromtheLatinword‘adventus’whichmeans‘arrival’.Putsimply,itmeansthatJesusChrist,OurLordandSaviour,isabouttoarrive.AdventisatimeofwaitingforthearrivalofChristmas,ingofJesustoEarthwhenhewasbornasababyatBethlehemalittleovertwothousandyearsago.DuringAdventwe Page1 recallthehistoryofGod'speopleandreflectonhowthepropheciesandpromisesoftheOldTestamentwerefulfilled. Adventisatimetocelebratelightinthemidstofdarkness.DuringAdvent,somepeoplemakeorbuyAdventcalendarsasawayofcountingthedaystoChristmas.Usuallythesecalendarshavetwenty-four'windows'.Traditionalcalendarwindowsopenuptoshowapictureofsomethinglinkedwiththistimeofyear.OnemayshowanangeloroneoftheshepherdswhovisitedbabyJesus.OthersmayshowpicturesofChristmaspresents,acandleoranythingelsetodowithChristmas.ThelastwindowtobeopenedonChristmasEveusuallyshowsJesushimself,lyinginamanger. TherearemanywaystomakeAdventcalendars.IfyoubuyacoffeeatStarbuck’soverthenextthreeweeksyouwillseetheirAdventCalendarssittingonthecounter,prisingof24littleboxesarrangedintheshapeofaChristmastree.Eachday,oneboxwillbeturnedaroundbythestafftoshowpartofapicturethatispaintedontheback.pletepicturewillberevealedwhenthefinalboxisturnedaroundonthe24thofDecember. WealsohavespecialsongsthatwesingduringAdvent.ThesongsofcourseareknownascarolsandtheyareaboutwhenJesuswasborn.ThemostfamousChristmascarolswerewritteninEuropeabout150yearsago,aroundthetimethatSt.Paul’sCollegewasfounded.Indeed,IimaginethatthesenewsongswereverypopularamongstthefirststudentsatSPC.WewillbesingingChristmascarolsduringAdvent,particularlyatourCarolService,withthemostpopularcarolsforyoungpeoplebeingAwayinaManger,SilentNightandOLittleTownofBethlehem. AnothertraditiontoemergeinEuropearound150yearsistheChristmastree.ThistraditionisbelievedtohavestartedwithQueenVictoriainEnglandwhotransportedalargefirtreefromGermanyandplaceditinWindsorCastle,herhomeontheoutskirtsofLondon.ItsoonbecamepopularforfamiliesacrossEnglandandEuropetobuyaChristmastreefortheirhome,todecoratethetreewithtinsel,lightsandsmallornamentshangingfromthebranches,andtoplacetheChristmaspresentsunderneath.Attheofthetreeisplacedanangelorastar.CitiesaroundtheworldputChristmastreesinpublicopenspaces.ThemostfamousChristmastreesaretheonesinLondon’sTrafalgarSquareandattheRockefellerCenterinNewYork.InHongKongthereisalreadyalargeandheavilydecoratedChristmastreeinChatterSquare. AdventisajourneythroughtheChristmasstory.Thenativitysceneisanancientwayoftellingthatstory,ingfromatimewhenmostpeoplecouldnotreadandneededthestoryofthebirthofJesustobedepictedvisually.AsChristians,wealsouseAdventcandlestocelebratethisperiodwithonecandleliteverySundayofAdvent.CandlessymbolisethelightofingintotheworldthroughthebirthofHisson.ThefouroutercandlesrepresenttheperiodofwaitingduringthefourSundaysofAdvent.ThefirstcandleistheCandleofHope,thesecondtheCandleofPeace,thethirdtheCandleofLoveandthefourththeCandleofJoy.Traditionally,thefifthandcentralcandleislitonChristmasEvetosignifyJesustheLightoftheWorld.Wewillbelightingthecandlesat Page2 assembliesduringAdvent,withthefifthcandletobelitattheCarolServiceonthelastdayofterm.Wemustnotet,however,thatthesymbolsthatweuseatthistimeofyear,thecarols,thecandlesandthedecorations,aresecondarytothebigevent.AdventisatimeofpreparationforthearrivalofJesusChrist.AdventallowsustoprepareourselvesandtofocusourthoughtsonthetruemeaningofChristmas,thatis,thearrivaloftheinfantJesus,ourLordandourSaviour.Whilethemessageiswellandtrulyoutthere,italsoneedstobewellandtrulyinsideeachofus.Christmasing. 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