Encore Post: It’s true that some churches use blue for Advent and some use violet. Which one is right, which is better?
First, neither is right and the other wrong. In Christian freedom, we have options of saying the creed before or after the sermon, collecting the offering before or after the prayer of the church, and using blue or violet in advent.
The use of blue for Advent is often attributed to European Marianist cultish worship or pseudo-worship of St. Mary, the Mother of our Lord. To some degree, that may contain truth. But I suspect the source is a little deeper than that. Some will also point to a Byzantine tradition of blue signifying the empress. But, there may be a deeper meaning still.
[Light blue paraments are used Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Rite Catholic, and Russian Orthodox Churches. Their use dates back into antiquity. This significantly precedes the Modern Oxford movement in England, which is sometimes maligned as a Marianist source, or an exclusively medieval Marianist origin to the use of blue in Advent.] (2023 Update)
There’s a specific reference in Numbers to the color of the skins on the Ark of the Covenant as the congregation of Israel carried it from place to place. “When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it. Then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.” (Numbers 4:5-6)
For our benefit, Christian artists will often depict the Ark of the Covenant moving uncovered. They do this so that we can see the gold, the cherubim, and the mercy seat, and know what it is. But, in reality, the ark was always covered from our eyes while in transit. The coverings were of an unclear material (ram, goat, porpoise, or maybe dugong) that was certainly blue in color. Moreover, no one was to touch the ark. The unmitigated holiness of God is dangerous to us in our sinful state and uncleanness.
When King David sought to move the ark back to Jerusalem, he and his men saw the holiness of God in action. Uzzah died when he touched the ark to steady it after the oxen stumbled. “So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. And it was told King David, ‘The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.’” (2 Samuel 6:10-12)
In his commentary on Luke, Dr. Arthur Just of Concordia Theological Seminary points out the parallel between 2 Samuel and Luke 1. Both show a going up into the hill country. The Israelites greet the ark with shouts of joys as does Elizabeth to Mary. The blessing of the house of Obed-Edom is reflected in Elizabeth’s being filled with the Holy Spirit, implying blessings for her and her home. Both the Ark and Mary remain for three months (Arthur A. Jr Just, Luke, Concordia Commentary (St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1996, 1:72)).
St. Luke reports, “In those days, Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’” (Luke 1:39-45)
In the Western Christian tradition, we call St. Mary “the mother of our Lord.” The Eastern Christian church uses the term: “Theotokos.” Theotokos is a Greek term meaning: “God-bearer.” The Greek term is also a spectacular image for us to have in our minds. It pictures something like the Ark of the Covenant.
The ark was nothing but an acacia wood box, covered in gold and finely decorated. The presence of God upon the ark made it unique. The virgin Mary also had no special attributes compared with other Israelite women. Yet, the presence of the Lord within her caused great joy for Elizabeth and her unborn son, John.
The presence of God in the ark looked to the ecclesia of Israel like a clump of blue animal skins skewered on a pair of poles, and carried about. Artists have depicted Mary in a blue mantle. The blue doesn’t show her specialty. The blue shows us what’s in there: Christ the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Advent blue shows us what’s coming.
[While violet and blue are certainly both acceptable, I think blue better serves our Christology in Advent. The two penitential seasons, Advent and Lent, are not the same. We treat them differently in our liturgy and hymnody. Lent is more austere. In it we put away our alleluias. This is not the case for Advent. A variation in the colors can reinforce the distinction between the penitence of Advent and the penitence of Lent.] (2022 update)
Blue serves to show us a new thing. While we prepare our hearts in the penitential season of Advent, God is delivering His Son. The Son of Man is born to die for our sins. Unlike the unmitigated holiness of God in the ark, God in human flesh is fully like us in flesh. He has the power to heal, even by the hem of His garment. But His touch does not strike down sinners. This blue points us not to Mary, the God-bearer, but to the God she bore.
Let the blue of Advent fill us with hope.
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX
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Excellent
After saying there is neither right nor wrong, you then imply that blue is better, by singing its praises and mentioning no value to resisting the innovation of blue in our churches today and continuing with the long-standing tradition of using purple for the penitential season of Advent…
I didn’t mince words. Both are acceptable. But, blue IS a better choice. Despite my own inclination to recoil at innovations, blue advent paraments are a good innovation. This differs from something like the Pope’s 3-years lectionary. That innovation made preachers turn pridefully into their own ability to preach more of the bible, while their congregants consistency retained less of it. Blue paraments are different. They teach a useful thing about a proper theology of St. Mary, the Mother of our Lord. And, they strike a distinction between the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent, which our liturgical traditions also do.
Thank you for this explanation. Very helpful.
You’re quite welcome.
This revelation about the significance of blue covering the vessel carrying the holy things having “God with us”, both in the Old and New Testament is magnificent. Thank you for this lesson from Scripture.
You’re welcome.
Arguably purple is better because it is a penitential color, and Advent is a penitential season, and because it is also a royal color and Advent is a season of anticipating the arrival of the royal Son of God.
You’re welcome to disagree. Our liturgy indicates that the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent are not the same. Their colors don’t have to be the same either. Alleluias are sung during the blue of Advent. They are put away during the greater austerity of Lent’s violet.
Why is the Ark of the Covenant not considered a “graven image”?
That’s a spectacular question. I’ll prob’ly make a post on it.
Long and short: the “graven images” prohibition isn’t properly understood as a second, independent commandment. It’s part of the first. The first (Ex. 20:3-6) and the third (Ex. 20:8-11) commandments are much broader in presentation than the other 8.
Graven images require graven purposes to be such. “You shall not bow down to them.” Pagans worship the dead image of the creation as a god. Old Testament and New Testament Christians use images of created things as part of the worship of the one true God.
In His description of the tabernacle and later the temple, it’s rich with images that would be graven in another context.
A very thoughtful and considered argument for the blue. Also a wonderful lesson. Thank you.
Thank you. I’m glad you found it useful.
No question, this is a very good explanation for those who prefer blue for Advent. As noted, in the grander scheme, liturgical colors are adiaphora. We switched back to purple from blue to highlight the penitential nature of the season (yes, different in intensity than Lent, for which we have other purple paraments). A major Advent theme reflects that of Our Lord’s own words, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The need for repentance and preparation today is greater than ever. In these weeks leading up to Christmas, where people are already ensnared in the trappings of the season, the purple is a visual reminder to “slow our roll” and remember what and Who this season–as all seasons–are about. We do the same by quieting the music during the liturgy (except Gaudete, which is still reserved in nature), omitting the Gloria, stopping the use of flowers, and holding off on all Christmas music and decorations until Christmas. When Christmas does arrive, it is truly a sense of “Joy to the world!” So, bravo for “team blue,” but equal kudos for “team purple.” Pax Christi.
This is also not wrong. Sadly, I’ve never run accross and anti-violetist. But, every year this post draw out the anti-blueists in droves.
It seems like there could be reasons for a church to alternate colors from year to year. I don’t know if any do that or not. Aside from a congregation pitching a fit over it; would that be a good thing to do?
Thanks for the observation/comment. I’d suggest against that. Consistency and predictability are wise practices in the church. Change for its own sake profits little or nothing. The church exists as an island of consistency in a world corrupted by sin and driven by whiplash inducing, violent change. We are the stable place amidst the storm.