Pastor’s eNote: Weekly Update

This coming Saturday will be the apex of the Great Darkness. The sun will rise at 7:55 a.m. and set at 4:20 p.m. resulting in 8 hours and 26 minutes of daylight. When combined with the rainy forecast the day will seem short-lived by most accounts. It’s gonna be dark!

Back on December 1st during Sunday worship I shared that the colors we use in the Sanctuary are important to us. These “liturgical colors” remind us of the season we are in as we follow the chronology of Jesus’ life and ministry. Colors are a companion to us through the year to remind us of the story of Jesus.

The typical color for Advent (the four weeks leading to Christmas) is usually purple which symbolizes the royal nature of Christ as the soon and coming King. Purple was a color reserved for royalty since it was an expensive dye to produce in the ancient world. You might remember the businesswoman named Lydia in the book of Acts who was a seller of “purple.”

The alternate and less-used color for Advent is indigo blue. There are a variety of reasons for its use in Advent but a significant meaning is that it is the color of the clear sky just before dawn. Included with this blog is a good picture of it.

More than just the tired of saying of, “It is always darkest before the dawn.”, indigo blue is best seen with the dawn already beginning as in the photo above. Without the rising sun, the indigo color does not emerge. Light chases the darkness away. Indigo is the first sign of light’s coming.

In these literal dark days perhaps by the clock or by the events in our life and world, we must remain faithful to a God who is light in our darkness. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not “grasp” it. (John 1:5) Another word for grasp is “hold.” Indigo blue as a color reminds us that, in the fullness of time, God will prevail. It is inevitable as the sunrise. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Grace to You All,

Pastor Craig Brown
(12/17/24)