Welcome to Advent

It always amazes me how we can pivot from giving thanks one day to grabbing things the next without a second thought.

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is stuffed with demands on your time and attention: decorating the house, shopping for presents, spending time with family, friends, and random people from work. The news is filled with messages of scarcity and striving.  “Order now, or you might not get what you want.”  Christmas decorations were out in stores before Halloween.  The pace of the holiday season is frenetic and the world is constantly pushing us to do more, buy more, go more. 

New Year’s Eve comes, and you’re so exhausted you fall asleep as night falls, waking up just in time to say, “Happy New Year!,” kiss your wife and kids, roll over and fall back asleep.

What a way to start the New Year—depleted, exhausted, running on fumes. 

I’m here to offer a better way.

Jeremiah 6:16 says: “This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

I want to find rest for my soul.

Nope, it’s stronger than that: I NEED to find rest for my soul.

But how can we do that? By looking for the ancient paths. Choose to pursue that rest by resisting the rush and sense of scarcity of the holiday season. Celebrating Advent is one of those ancient paths that leads to the restoration of your soul.

What is Advent?

Advent, like Lent, is a season of preparation.  And, similar to those 40 days before Easter, Advent is shrouded in mystery and confusion.  What does it mean?  What do we do?  Why should I care?

The word “advent” means coming or arrival.  The early church used this time to celebrate the arrival of Jesus, and anticipate His return at the Second Coming.  Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, preparation, and longing.  We experience the tension of the now and not yet.  Jesus is Emmanuel, here with us, but we also yearn for his return.

Advent season has been celebrated in a variety of ways over the centuries. Fasting and a solemnness have marked this time, as a reminder of the darkness experienced before the coming of Jesus.  More recently, many churches moved away from these traditions, but one practice remains common today: the advent wreath.

The branches that compose the advent wreath were originally a combination of fir, laurel, and holly.  This portion is referred to as the crown, which symbolizes victory and looks to Christ as King.  The fir represents strength; laurel, victory; and holly, the crown of thorns.  The evergreen quality of these branches also remind us of the eternity of God. 

Around the wreath are four candles some combination of purple and pink.  Each candle represents a different theme for us to meditate on that week.  These are lit, one at a time, on each Sunday of the Advent season.  This year, the first Sunday of Advent is November 30th.  This sacred season closes on Wednesday, December 24th. On this day, the Christ candle, which is white and located in the center, is lit with all of the others in celebration of the arrival of the Messiah.

Choose the ancient path.  The season of Advent invites to you be more, but not through working harder or doing more.  The invitation is to a closer, more intimate relationship with the Maker of the Promises and Planner of the world, this season, and your life.  This time allows you the opportunity to resist the grip of the spirit of this age, in an act of resistance.  But the choice is yours.  Will you join me on this walk?

Below, you will find a path laid out for you to follow each week. Bible verses, a short prayer, even a Christmas song based on the theme of the week. Join me on this good way by clicking the link below to follow along.