**Thoughts from Our Bridge Pastor**

Rev. Barbara K. Peronteau

Thoughts from the Pastor…

There’s a story, with some variations, that goes something like this: A newlywed couple were settling into their daily routine. The wife was preparing a roast for dinner. She was eager to use the newest and best pots and pans and roasters they received as wedding gifts. She had bought a 12-inch roast, brought it home, opened it up, and proceeded to cut one inch off both ends and then proceeded to throw away the ends. The husband noticed this and asked why she would cut off 2 inches of perfectly good roast. The wife replied that was something she has always done. The husband was still curious. The wife thought for a moment and said it was something she remembered her mother doing. The husband asked the next logical question which was why her mother would do that. The wife was now as curious about this as her husband and was soon on the phone with her mother. The mother explained that at the time she only had a ten-inch pan and that a 12-inch roast wasn’t going to fit. She hasn’t done that for years since she got her new roasting pans. Oh.

Sometimes we do things because we think that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Perhaps we do things because we’ve always done them and haven’t really thought about it.

That’s the way is for me with that darn pesky pink candle in the Advent Wreath. Ever wonder why there’s a pink candle in the Advent Wreath? For years I never gave it any thought, until one day I did.

Remember back in the day when the colors for Advent were the same as Lent? Purple. Remember that? The Church calendar had two penitential seasons, Advent and Lent. Remember asking why? Why are there two liturgical seasons when the color is purple? Why are there two penitential seasons? Remember when Advent hymns were those unsingable mournful dirges? Lent we understand, but Advent? Shouldn’t there be more Joy involved when celebrating the upcoming Birth of Christ? Shouldn’t there be more ‘yippee’ in the season? Remember asking those questions? Well, someone did, and the questions were answered.

Somewhere around 1980, maybe mid ‘70s, the ecumenical Church collectively asked the same questions. There was a liturgical revival about that time. The question was raised what Advent really is about? The collective answer is that Advent is about Hope. The color of Hope is blue. And so, the color for Advent was changed from purple to blue.

So why is there still a pink candle in the Advent Wreath? Back in the day, before the collective ‘we’ began asking questions Advent ran for six weeks beginning right after November 11, St. Martin’s Day. Like Lent Advent was a penitential season. By the time the third week in Lent and the third week in Advent rolled around everyone thought it was about time to take a break. Too much soul searching can get heavy on the soul, so the Church, in its wisdom, took a break. During Lent the day was called Laetare and in Advent the day was called Gaudete. Both are Latin words that have in their roots the word meaning rejoice.

The color for the day for both Laetare and Gaudete Sunday was a pinkish rose color somewhere between red and pink which is actually quite lovely. Here’s the thing though. Advent is no longer a season of penitential self-reflection. Advent is a season of Hope. The color of the season is blue for when we Hope for Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy. Do we really need a break from Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy? I would hope not.

Peace and Hope,
~ Pr. Barbara