At home with the Advent wreath

The lighting of an Advent wreath as a countdown to Christmas has become so globally popular that Venezuelan newspapers run articles explaining it as a “Catholic custom.” This is a matter of some debate, as many sources trace it back to the Lutheran Reformation. Roman Catholic apologists agree that it began in Germany, but claim it originated earlier in the Middle Ages. The mystery arises from the fact that the Advent wreath originated as a form of family devotion, not as a rite of public worship. Lighting the wreath as we know it today did not become a widespread practice outside of Germany until the 19th and early 20th centuries, with the tide of Germans fleeing political conflicts and economic difficulties in their homeland. Only then was it incorporated into Advent services in churches of nearly every denomination. That is how I explained it to our afterschool students and youth of our congregation, drawing a comparison of how the migration of Venezuelans is dispersing Venezuelan customs throughout the world. Also, I emphasized the importance of Bible reading and prayer in the home, not just in the building designated as a house of worship. 

 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 is a classic verse that illustrates the importance of family devotions in the Christian life. So is Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Although the parental duty is set forth in terms of the father’s obligation, yet the mother’s rule and responsibility, being included in that of the husband, is just as strongly enjoined. St. Paul, in 1 Timothy 1:5, commends Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, for raising Timothy in the faith despite the lack of a faithful father. In Timothy 2:15, the apostle says again that Timothy is fortunate in “that from childhood  known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

With the assistance of Luz Maria’s sister, Rosaura, we presented a special workshop for all the young people in making Advent wreaths for the home. 

A tradition of Christian education

Luz Maria and I are grateful for the opportunity to speak via Zoom on December 4, 2025, to the students of Deshler Lutheran School, Deshler, Nebraska. Our special thanks to principal Todd Voss; Brian Francik, pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Deshler; and José Flores, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Friedensau, Nebraska. Deshler Lutheran School is one part of the ministry conducted by St. Peter-Deshler and TrinityFriedensau. Both congregations have a rich tradition of providing Christ-centered education. Trinity Lutheran at Freidensau called the first teacher to the Nebraska District in 1879. St. Peter's Lutheran School was established in 1889. In 1966, Trinity-Friedensau and Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Kiowa joined with St. Peter's-Deshler to form the Deshler Lutheran School Association using the 1953 building and grounds in Deshler for its campus. Trinity-Friedensau celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. I attended the centennial anniversary in 1974 which featured my father’s older brother, the Rev. Alfred Ernst, as guest speaker. My great-grandfather, Henry Schabacker, so far holds the longest tenure as pastor of Trinity-Friedensau, having served for more than 30 years. His daughter, Theodora Amanda, married my grandfather, David Julius Ernst, who was the sole teacher in the parochial school and also church organist.

Like grandmother, like granddaughter

While we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent in La Caramuca on November 30, 2025, Oriana Montoya, Luz Maria's granddaughter, was consecrated as a deaconess at Jesus of Los Olivos Lutheran Church in Lima, Peru. Oriana was baptized February 15, 2003, at Corpus Christi Lutheran Church, Barinas, and took first communion October 28, 2012, at Epiphany Lutheran Church of La Caramuca. She graduated from our preschool and was active in the Epiphany youth group. She represented our mission at the national youth gathering of the Lutheran Church of Venezuela in 2016. After moving to Peru in 2017, Oriana enrolled in and graduated from the deaconess program offered by Concordia El Reformador in the Dominican Republic.

Open for the King of glory!

In our afternoon Bible study on November 24, we explained that we had concluded another year according the calendar of the church. The next Sunday we would start another cycle with the first Sunday of Advent, a season of preparation for the Christmas celebration. The church calendar, a useful teaching tool, covers during its first half, all the significant events in our Lord`s earthly life and ministry, from His birth to the Ascension. The second half takes us from Pentecost to the current moment, as the church carries out its mission to gather and care for the lost sheep until the Lord returns in glory. It is part of the great countdown that helps us remain alert until that day.

On Sunday, December 1, Karla Frias, one of our youth, lit the first candle of our Advent wreath during the opening hymn, “Oh come, Oh come, Emmanuel”. We sang the first two stanzas in the new Spanish hymnal. Unlike earlier hymnals,

Himnario Luterano contains all seven of the original stanzas, so we can sing two for each of the four Sundays of Advent (the first and last stanzas for the fourth Sunday).

“Oh come, Oh come, Emmanuel” is based on the seven “O Antiphons”, a series of prayers based on Bible passages that are, according to tradition, recited or chanted before the Magnificat in Vespers services from December 17 to 23. Each O Antiphon highlights a title for the Messiah. This is the first:

O Wisdom, who issued forth from the lips of the Most High, encompassing all things from one end to the other, and ordering all things with firmness and gentleness: Come and show us the path of salvation. (Isaiah 11:2-3; 28:29; 1 Corinthians 1:24-30; Colossians 2:1-3)

According to the Old Testament writers, wisdom in its absolute sense is an attribute of God. Isaiah identifies “the Spirit of the Lord” as “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord”, and that this Spirit will rest on the Messiah. St. Paul in 1 Corinthians brings out the foolishness of this world's wisdom when compared with the wisdom of God, embodied in Jesus and especially in His death on the cross. In Colossians, the apostle writes that there is no counsel of God for the salvation of the world which does not find its fulfillment in Christ.

In the Gospel reading for the first Sunday in Advent (Matthew 21:1-9), the multitude gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover recognized the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 62:11 and so they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

They recognized the man seated on the donkey as the promised Messiah, who our Old Testament lesson (Jeremiah 23:5-8) says will be named “Jehovah, our righteousness”. Likewise, in the Psalm of the day, we repeated the liturgical dialogue of the faithful who wished to enter the Temple of Jerusalem. “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in” (Psalm 24:7). Then the gatekeepers of the Temple would ask, “Who is this King of glory?” and the people would respond, “Jehovah, strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle!” (Psalm 24:8). The people would enter the gates of the Lord`s house, not by their own righteousness, but by the righteous of God`s Anointed One. The name given the Messiah is the proper name of the God of Israel.

So the Messiah is true God, but some wanted His human name. To which others replied, “Jesus the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee.” These texts along with those that identify Jesus as the divine Wisdom are good for this season when, right on schedule, the Jehovah`s Witnesses are going door to door to deny that the Son is of the same substance as the Father.

"The Lord has kept me alive..."

Two years ago at this time I was hospitalized for what I can best describe (without going into excruciating detail) a stroke caused by kidney infection among other factors. Since then I have paid more attention to diet and exercise, and I seem to be in excellent condition for a 66-year-old man. I can say with Caleb, "And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive..." (Joshua 14:10).

We were able to weather the medical emergency financially thanks to health insurance provided by Global Lutheran Outreach (GLO). But now we face a different challenge. Donations to Epiphany Lutheran Mission have declined substantially over the past year and we will not be able to afford the same level of health coverage for the upcoming year. But that is not the only consequence of the drop in donations. We have plans for building back preschool program and more. But without additional support, we can only struggle to maintain the ministry that we have now. We are not in personal crisis, but Venezuela remains in national crisis. Inflation continues, and, although food, medicine and other necessities are available, many people do not have enough money to sustain a decent standard of living. Power outages still occur daily, interruptions in Internet and telephone service are frequent, and travel is laden with unnecessary risks. We are grateful to God and all of our donors for being able to serve our community and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ for 21 years. If you can renew your partnership with us, or convince someone else to help, our online donation page may be found at https://globallutheranoutreach.com/support-ernst.html.

Also, feelings of isolation are an occupational hazard for cross-cultural missionaries. Here is an easy way to let us and other GLO missionaries know that we are not forgotten, and make a small donation to Global Lutheran Outreach for each birthday wish (you can set the minimum donation per wish). Please head over to wishwell.ai/GLO to choose the missionaries that you would like to greet on their special day. Once you have made your selections, place your order via secure credit card or ACH payment. Remember also to pray for your missionary on their birthday!

The beginning of wisdom and Advent

We give thanks to God for beginning the season of Advent with our preschool in operation. The initial announce was for the opening of schools on October 11, but then the date was changed to October 25. The preschool was open on a limited basis from late October through most of November, with the children divided into four groups attending at different hours on different days.

The ball really got rolling on Monday, November 23, with a prayer service for preschool students and their families. The first reading was from Psalm 111:10

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who obey His commandments have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

The first words of this verse constitute the motto of the University of the Andes in Mérida, Venezuela, and our educational center as well. In the Small Catechism of Doctor Martin Luther, the explanation of each of the 10 Commandments begins like this: "We must fear and love God ..." Why should we fear God? First, by the power of him. Natural forces such as hurricanes, earthquakes or volcanoes are beyond our control, yet God is more powerful than them. Only by his Word, God destroyed the world by flood, but by the same Word, he created heaven and earth. We sinners too must fear God for his perfect justice by whose standard we are condemned.

Why should we love God? Moses in the book of Deuteronomy 6: 5 and our Lord Jesus Christ affirmed it in Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:30, that the fulfillment of the first table of the Law, God's will for us to live as his children, is "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength." This is the main commandment, and the second is similar: You shall love your neighbor as yourself " (Leviticus 19:18).

The second lesson was Ephesians 6:1-4.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

The second table of the Law, which governs our relationships with other human beings begins with our vocation as children and then as parents. In the family it is the formation of our attitude towards the authorities. The first authority figures in our lives are our parents. Our relationship with them determines our relationships with teachers at school, high school, and university; with the civil government; and finally not only with God's representatives in this world, but also with God himself. Therefore, children should learn the 10 Commandments, the moral law, at home and at school. Because education is not only knowledge, but also the formation of values and character.

The Gospel lesson was Luke 18:15-17.

“And they also brought the children to him to touch them; but when the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus, calling them, said: "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child, will not enter it."

The fulfillment of the moral law is the love of God and our neighbor, but, in truth, only one fulfilled this law perfectly, our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only in his innocent life, but also in his death on the cross he paid the debt of our sins. In Christ, God the almighty Father loved us first, and because of this perfect love and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can love God and our neighbor. In holy baptism the Spirit turns us into redeemed children of God. So, we do not know God as an angry Judge, but as our heavenly Father and we can pray the Our Father, the prayer that the Lord taught his disciples (Matthew 6: 9-13; Luke 11: 2-4) And when Jesus He told them, "He who does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will not enter it", it is not only an argument for the baptism of children, also for adults, in baptism and later, not to trust their own understanding, but submit to the will of God and seek the welfare of others. We confess the Apostolic Creed to reaffirm our baptismal faith, in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The prayer service was followed by games in the street.

A crown of candles, not thorns

On November 28, the first Sunday of Advent, we put out the blue paraments and lit the first candle of the Advent wreath. The reason for the season of Advent is preparing to celebrate the birth of the Christ. For many years, Advent was thought of as a time for repentance, fasting and prayer, much like Lent, but in anticipation of the Incarnation, rather than the Resurrection. So often churches use purple as the liturgical color of both Advent and Lent. Purple was a royal color in antiquity and, as part of their mockery, the Roman soldiers clothed Jesus in a purple or scarlet (reddish-purple) cloak and crowned him with thorns (Matthew 27:28-29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2).

Blue also is a royal color, especially the deep, rich shade known as “royal blue” which is very close on the spectrum to purple. The use of blue as an alternative liturgical color for Advent has its roots in Sweden, England and Spain. Advent blue is thought of as the color of the sky just before the first rays of dawn appear on the horizon.

The Advent wreath is called “la corona de Adviento” or “Advent crown” in Spanish, which reminds one of the crown of thorns. But the wreath or crown of Advent, since its origins in Germany, always been a circle of evergreen branches and candles. The circle also recalls the infinite mercy of the triune God that has no beginning and no end. The green branches signify the new life in Jesus Christ. The four candles represent the four Sundays of Advent. One of the candles is lit on the first Sunday of Advent, then a new candle every Sunday until the last Sunday with all of them lit. Many times the color of the third candle is pink, because its Sunday is the midpoint of the season. A white candle inside the circle that is lit on Christmas Eve to symbolize the light of Christ in this world.

And, of course, we set out the Nativity scene, or pesebre, as it is known in Venezuela. In the 13th Century, Francis of Asissi put together what we would call today a living Nativity scene. People began making models of this scene for their homes with figures of wood or clay. This custom spread from Italy throughout Europe, but particularly gained a foothold in Spain. From there it spread to Spain’s colonies in the Americas. We follow the Venezuelan practice of not placing the Christ Child in the scene until Christmas Eve.

Pray for Venezuela

We also give thanks that on November 21, nationwide gubernatorial and municipal elections were carried out with no violent repercussions. Only the results of the governor’s race in our state of Barinas were disputed. Meanwhile, according to a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, Venezuela is second only to Haiti as the Latin American country with the highest percentage of hungry people. Haiti and other French-speaking nations of the Caribbean are considered part of Latin America because French, like Spanish and Portuguese (spoken in Brazil) are Romance (“Romanish”) languages derived from Latin dialects.

Lord God, make Advent a blessing to us as we prepare our hearts to welcome the Christ Child anew. Amen.

Crown of light, crown of life

"Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James 1:12

We lit the first candle of the Advent wreath on Sunday, November 29, 2020. The wreath (in Spanish they call it a corona or crown) is set up in the chapel, and so is the manger scene. Following Venezuelan custom, we have not placed the Christ Child in the manger yet, because we are anticipating and preparing for the celebration of His birth.

In past years, for many people, “Christmas” meant the beginning of a long vacation period, usually starting December 15 and lasting until January 6 (Epiphany). It was a time for getaways to Venezuela’s towering mountains or hundreds of miles of Caribbean shoreline, or perhaps just staying at home to eat and drink with family and friends. This year is different, although COVID-19 travel restrictions may be lifted this month. Still, because of the hyperinflationary economy, there are many families who cannot afford the traditional Christmas meal of hallaca, pan de jamón and chicken salad. To a gringo, the hallaca looks much like a tamale, but whatever you do, do not call it a tamale. Pan de jamón is holiday bread filled with ham and olives. The chicken salad is chicken salad, although there is a history behind it as a Christmas treat. Even during the best years, however, for those who had forgotten the reason for the season, the good times and good feelings were only a short respite from days of toil and trouble without hope. Now they may not have even that. But for those of us for whom the light of Christ shines throughout the year, this season is both a time to remember why we have the sure promise of eternal life and to look forward to the fulfillment of that promise despite the trials and troubles of this life.

Still no COVID-19 in La Caramuca

Speaking of trials, we give thanks be to God that it has been nearly eight months and no COVID-19 cases have been recorded in La Caramuca. I was reflecting on that after being reminded that at this time in 2014, everyone in La Caramuca, including Luz Maria and myself, had come down with chikungunya at least once and sometimes twice. Chikungunya is a tropical disease that first appeared in India and islands in the Indian Ocean in 2005/2006 and spread to the Caribbean basin by 2013. It caused quite a few deaths throughout Latin America and there still is no vaccine or cure for it. There also are no vaccines or cures for dengue fever or the zika virus, both of which still are present in Venezuela, too. Dengue, zika and chikungunya all are spread by the same species of tropical mosquito, which does not survive and reproduce any place frostier than Florida. I am at a loss to explain why COVID-19 has had so little direct impact on us, except to say the Lord has had mercy on us. Although the “national quarantine” has severely restricted travel even in and around Barinas, we nevertheless are not completely isolated from the rest of the country or the world.

Online courses continue

Together with Pastor Eliezer Mendoza of Barquisimeto, who is director of the Juan de Frias Theological Institute, Luz Maria is reviewing and evaluating the final coursework in the first stage of online training of deaconesses in Venezuela. The program began September 25, 2020, with 41 women enrolled. Weekly online sessions were conducted via Zoom software with presentations by Deaconess Danelle Putnam, coordinator of deaconess education for Concordia El Reformador Seminary in the Dominican Republic, and Dr. Roberto Bustamente, theological educator at the Dominican seminary. Also in November, the Lutheran Church of Venezuela conducted its first online national assembly via Zoom videoconferencing. Our preschool students, as well as students in the elementary schools have continued coursework online for the first trimester of the 2020/2021 school year. All of this despite continued power outages and lapses in Internet service.

Because of advances in and widespread adoption of videoconferencing technology, we feel confident in inviting congregations, societies and groups that support our work in La Caramuca, or would just like to know more about us to arrange a Zoom conference at the most convenient date. Please let us know!

Medicine for Venezuela Project completes third year of operation

According to James and Lisa Tino of Global Lutheran Outreach, “Thousands of people have benefited from this incredible project of mercy over the last three years. Currently we are packing and preparing to send about 60,000 pills which will be distributed to people in desperate need via our 21 sister congregations throughout Venezuela.” Here we look forward to receiving more of this necessary assistance. The Tinos have more to say about how Global Lutheran Outreach helps Venezuelan immigrants in Chile.

Pray for Venezuela and the world

Let us remember in prayer:

The victims of Hurricane Eta in Central America and of storms and earthquakes throughout the world.

Families affected by heavy rains and floods throughout northwestern Venezuela.

The calming of political unreast in Peru and Chile, as well as other countries.

For persecuted Christians in China, Nigeria, North Korea and elsewhere, and continued religious liberty for all.

Lo! the hosts of evil round us

Scorn the Christ, assail His ways!

From the fears that long have bound us

Free our hearts to faith and praise.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage

For the living of these days,

For the living of these days.

LSB 850

Text: God of Grace and God of Glory

Author: Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1878-1969

Tune: CWM RHONDDA

Arranger: Henry V. Gerike, b. 1848

Composer: John Hughes, 1873-1932

Rejoicing in the mysteries of God

The third Sunday in Advent is called "Gaudete Sunday". The introit quotes Philippian 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice". The Latin words are "Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete." We lit a reddish-pink candle on our Advent wreath in addition to two blue ones.

The basis of this tradition is that while the Scripture readings for the first two Sundays in Advent are rather grim lessons about Christ's purpose for being born in Bethlehem (to suffer and die on the cross) and His second coming in glory and judgment, in keeping with the idea of Advent as a season of repentance and reflection, on Gaudete Sunday the mood shifts more toward joy and hope as the celebration of the Nativity draws near.

We certainly had cause to rejoice on December 13, 2015, as Maria Gabriela Rosales was baptized, and Elias Montoya and Yaneth Torres were confirmed and received their first communion. My sermon text was the epistle, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5, which speaks of the ministers of the church as "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." What are the "mysteries of God" but the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, which we recognize, along with the preaching of the Word, as being central to our worship. You may read the complete English text of my sermon here.

Truly we rejoice in these young people and pray for them: Dearest Lord, we thank You that in the sacrament of baptism you bring new birth and life, making us members of Your holy family. We recall with gratitude our own baptisms, and pray that you would preserve Maria and us in Your baptismal grace. Help us to live in this world as Your redeemed children, serving You and our neighbors in love and devotion.

As You have made us all Your children in holy baptism, You have brought Elias and Yaneth through study of Your holy Word to know the meaning of their baptisms, and confess Your name as the only true God in Whom we have life eternal.

Always renew the strength of these young people that they shall rise up with wings like eagles. Grant them the faith of young Isaac; the vision of young Joseph; the obedience of young Samuel; the vigor of young David; the tenderness of young Jonathan; the wisdom of young Solomon; the courage of young Daniel; and the zeal of young Timothy. Deliver them from the temptations of youth, from unbelief, from forgetting their baptism, and losing the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Hear us for the sake of Your Son, Who redeemed us by His grace. Amén.

(Adapted from the "Lutheran Book of Prayer", Concordia Publishing House, 1970.)

Related articles

• Nations shall come to your light (venezuelaview.blogspot.com)
• Advent 2015. Away in a Feeding Trough. (pastelder.blogspot.com)