Celebrate Advent. with the people of. God. A Spiritual Guide for the Holiday Season

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1 Celebrate Advent with the people of God A Spiritual Guide for the Holiday Season Heron Park Baptist Church 2008

2 ADVENT SPIRITUALITY The Advent Season begins four Sundays before Christmas and is considered to be the beginning of the Christian year. It has been celebrated for over 1500 years by Christians who wish to grow deeper in their faith, and think more spiritually about Christmas. It gives us time to reflect, and time to remember that God came and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ, and it points to the second Advent - the time when he will come again. During Advent, the primary Christian symbol is the candle. Many churches and families display Advent wreaths or Advent candles and light one candle each week until Christmas Eve, when a fifth candle is lit - The Christ Candle. Most often the four Candles represent; Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Celebrating the Advent season is more important than ever in our culture because of the vast commercialization of Christmas. Shop, Shop, Shop seems to be the only rule of our Christmas season, and Christians often find themselves caught up in the frenzy. It s ironic that many Christians often complain about Christmas being too commercial, and yet most Christians never give a second thought to their own spirituality during this season. Advent affords us just such an opportunity. So take time this holiday season, take back your Christian heritage, Celebrate Advent! Ideas for Celebrating Advent at Home Behold! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together. Revelation 3:20 Is Christ welcome in your home? Seriously, is He welcome in your home? Or put another way, Is there room for Christ in your home? Does the TV ever get turned off, does the phone ever stop ringing? Today, many Christians have filled their homes and their lives, with so much clutter, it is difficult to see how and where Christ resides with them. Advent is the perfect time for making a conscious effort to invite Christ into our homes (and our lives).

The Advent Wreath: Make an Advent Wreath (this is a great activity for families), with five candles, (four around the outside, and one (the Christ Candle) in the middle.

3 The Advent Wreath: Make an Advent Wreath (this is a great activity for families), with five candles, (four around the outside, and one (the Christ Candle) in the middle. Place it on your table and light a candle every Sunday at meal time or in the evening (on week two light 2 candles, and so on), pray a short Advent prayer, read a scripture, and let the presence of God remind you that Christ is coming, not just to Bethlehem, but to you, where you are, to renew you faith. If you cannot make a wreath, just place five candles on a mantel or table, and light the appropriate candles each week. The Advent Calendar: How odd it is to see millions of Advent Calendars in the dollar stores and not one of them has a Christian symbol on it. Why not visit a Catholic book store, or religious store, and pick up a real Advent calendar. Don t worry if it doesn t have chocolate in it for the kids. Just buy a bag of Hershey s Kisses and give the children one for each window that they open, and remember to explain the picture in the window. This is a great way to talk to your children about waiting, and hoping for Jesus to come - an important theme of Advent. Advent Devotions: Have you ever sat down and calculated how many hours you spend in a mall during the month of December, and then compared that with how much time you spend talking with God during that same month? Advent is a wonderful time to introduce daily devotions to your regular routine. You can do them as a family, or alone, after the evening meal, or in the morning. Even taking 5 or 10 minutes a day during advent will change your whole outlook of the Christmas season. You will think more clearly about what matters, and you will enjoy a peaceful and calm spirit as you approach Christmas day. On the back of this brochure you will find daily Bible readings for the Advent season. Read one each day, take a few moments to pray and ask God to enter your life anew, and see if God doesn t renew your spirit and enter your home in a new and wonderful way.

4 Suggested Bible Readings for Advent Beginning Sunday Nov. 30 th 2008 First Week Sunday Matthew 25:1-13 Monday Isaiah 1:16-18 Tuesday Isaiah 60:1-3 Wednesday Psalm 43: 3-5 Thursday Isaiah 58:6-9 Friday 1 John 2:8-11 Saturday 1 John 3:1-2 Second Week Sunday Isaiah 40:1-5 Monday Revelation 1:7-8 Tuesday Matthew 22:41-45 Wednesday Hosea 11:3-4 Thursday Psalm 130 Friday Micah 6:6-8 Saturday Jeremiah 14:8-9 Third Week Sunday Isaiah 9:6-7 Monday Isaiah 7:10-14 Tuesday Isaiah 11:1-6 Wednesday Isaiah 40:10-11 Thursday Isaiah 52:7 Friday Jeremiah 33:14-16 Saturday Malachi 3:1-2 Fourth Week Sunday John 3:16-21 Monday Luke 1:1-25 Tuesday Luke 1:26-38 Dec. 24 Matthew 1:18-25

5 Advent Prayers Lord, the light I choose to let into my life today is based on my trust in you. Like this candle, my flame is often a weak flame, but I pray that your flame of love will dispel a bit more of the darkness today. Shine through me today in whatever I do, and help me remember that my life is nothing more, and nothing less, than a preparation to meet you when you come again. Amen. Dear Jesus, your voice calls out and says, watch and wait, for I am coming again. Yet I hardly hear you. Busy with so much, I go about the things I do like a servant trapped in household routine, hardly giving a thought to what my life is about. My spirit within has grown tired and you, my God, seem far away. Speak to my heart during this season of grace, as you spoke to your prophets long ago. Remind me again of the journey you have called me to, and the work you would have me do. I am your servant, O Lord. Speak to me in this Advent season and turn my eyes to watch for your coming. Amen. We humbly beg you, O Lord, to listen to our prayers; and by the grace of your coming, bring light into our darkened minds. We pray peace for a violent world, We pray hope for those in despair. We pray love for those who hate. We pray light for those in darkness. Make us a light, so that we may bring peace, hope, and love to our world this Advent season.

Advent Devotional Guide: Preparing for the Coming of Christ by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts Copyright 2011 by Mark D. Roberts and Patheos.

Advent Devotional Guide: Preparing for the Coming of Christ by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts Copyright 2011 by Mark D. Roberts and Patheos.com Introduction Advent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping.