Thinking about Advent

For several days I've been pondering Advent and Christmas. I've spent a great deal of time reading about Advent on Elizabeth Foss' blog and Leila Lawler's blog. I've made lists and borrowed some beautiful Christmas books at the library this week while there is still a good selection. And I've looked at this great website about St. Nicholas, which I used last year. I've spent some time praying about it and talking to the girls and David, who are my sounding boards. I went to Family Fun and looked around for awhile, which is always great inspiration for craft ideas.

I want my children to know why we have Christmas - I've always tried to teach them about Jesus and tried to do things that are meaningful as well as fun during the season. Over the years, we've probably tried it all. And we've had a good balance, I believe. We've always celebrated Advent, sometimes at home and, since we've been United Methodists, at church every year. But this year, because of life's busyness, it has become even more important to me to slow down and anticipate the birth of Jesus instead of burning out on Christmas before it's even here.

It's very difficult to celebrate Advent when we live in a Christmas world. But Advent is a 4 week season of reflection and Christmas is only a one day holiday which we've made into an entire season - winter, spring, summer, fall, and Christmas. Why have we skipped the holiness of one to indulge in the craziness of the other?

Every morning David reads the lectionary scriptures for the day, so this is already in place for Advent. Instead of only having the wreath and lighting the candles at church, I'm planning to have a set at home that we can light at breakfast and lunch (our main meals) so we can anticipate the coming of Jesus every day and think about Him. I already have a Christmas centerpiece for the table and David picked up some red candles which I'll use with it. I prefer red over purple since it goes with my other decorations.

I have a beautiful ceramic Nativity, made by my mother-in-law when we got married, that has survived 33 years of moves. I want to put it out slowly this year - Mary and the angel first, then Joseph, so we have time to really think about them and what they must have gone through. We can save the baby Jesus until Christmas and the wise men until Epiphany, so we can look forward to those pieces joining the little family.

We celebrated St. Nicholas day last year and the kids loved it, so we will do that again. The website I've linked is really super and has lots of things to learn and do.

I would like to delay putting up the tree until later in the month. We normally put it up around Katie's birthday, which is December 12th and take it down the day after Christmas. Why not put it up a bit closer to Christmas and enjoy it during the 12 Days of Christmas, which lasts until Epiphany?

We have our activities at church, cookie baking, and Christmas movies which we all enjoy. And I have some twaddle-free read alouds which will enhance our experience. I found the instructions for a few ornaments to make with Abby, my little crafter. And we can't skip looking at lights a day or two before Christmas. But by the time we get to that activity, perhaps we won't be so burned out and exhausted we don't even do it, as has happened the last few years.

The Christmas season is terribly busy until we go to the candlelight communion service at church and have a special time of prayer with our pastor, my husband. Then we come home and finish cooking the special supper, which we serve when David comes in. A hush falls over the lovely table, set with the best dishes and gleaming with candlelight. That moment is when Christmas really begins in our family.

I'm looking forward to celebrating Advent in a more meaningful way this year, looking for the coming of JESUS.