Over the last couple years, I’ve become really interested in Advent. And I don’t mean Advent calendars that dispense treats each day leading up to Christmas; I mean the celebration of the arrival of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
As we celebrated my daughter’s second Christmas, I realized I wanted her to know the true meaning of the holiday. I don’t really have a problem with Santa Claus, but that year I decided my family was going to focus more on the true reason for Christmas than the secular version we were all accustomed to. I started focusing on Advent because Advent does just that — it centers our minds and spirits on Jesus.
What is Advent?
This led me to start researching Advent (I knew it had more to it than calendars). Here’s what I learned:
Advent is another word for “arrival.” Advent is a season in which we meditate on and celebrate the arrival of Jesus. Traditionally, it is celebrated the four weeks leading up to Christmas.
There are several ways to acknowledge Advent. Some Christians focus the first two weeks of Advent on Jesus’ promise to return and renew heaven and earth, then they spend the remaining two weeks focusing on Jesus’ birth. Others spend each of the four weeks focusing on one of these concepts: hope, peace, love and joy.
Advent incorporates different activities and traditions. Some believers simply read Scriptures that focus on Christ’s coming. Others sing Christmas hymns, do acts of service, spend time in prayer, or utilize a hands-on activity like the ones mentioned in the list below.
Advent is only one part of the liturgical calendar. The church calendar year starts on the first Sunday of Advent and represents a season of expectation. Then there is the season of Christmas which lasts 12 days (Dec 25 – Jan 5), and the day of Epiphany (Jan 6) which proclaims the manifestation of Christ to all peoples; it traditionally represents the day the magi came to worship Jesus. Following Epiphany there is Lent, Easter, and the season of Pentecost. Learning this opened my eyes to how we acknowledge the work of Christ year-round — and it all starts with Advent.
Make Christmas meaningful this year
If, like me, you want to celebrate and meditate on the true meaning of Christmas, here are a few ways to thoughtfully experience Advent:
1. Complete an Advent devotional. This is a great way to be truly reflective during the Advent season. This year, Boundless is offering a free Advent devotional experience featuring four short videos and a few practical exercises to apply what you learn.
2. Talk to/text your friends each week about the season’s themes (hope, peace, love, joy). Each Sunday, send a simple message asking them questions like, “What is something you are hoping for?” “How have you felt God’s peace this week?” or “Where do you need God’s peace in your life right now?” If you want to be really ambitious, host a dinner party each Sunday and focus the conversation around that week’s topic.
3. Read the Christmas story in Scripture. One of the simplest ways we can experience the wonder of Christ’s arrival is by reading the Bible. You can read the account in the books of Luke and Matthew. Or you can find foreshadowing Scriptures throughout the Old Testament, but especially in Isaiah. You can even do Advent readings from Genesis to Revelation. Doing these readings is one of the best ways to align your heart and spirit with the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas.
4. Set up an Advent wreath. You’ll need an evergreen wreath (this symbolizes the eternal life that Jesus brings) and five candles — if you want to be really traditional, you’ll need three purple, one pink and one white candle. You’ll also need candleholders. The three purple candles represent hope, peace and love, the pink one represents joy, and the white one represents Christ. Each Sunday of Advent, you’ll light one of the candles; the fifth candle you’ll light on Christmas Eve. Here are prayers and readings for lighting the Advent wreath candles.
5. Decorate a Jesse Tree. According to Christianity.com, “The Jesse Tree is a symbolic way of recounting the genealogy of Jesus starting from Jesse, the father of King David. Each day, a different ornament or symbol is added to a tree or wreath, representing key figures and events from the Old Testament that led to the birth of Jesus.”
6. Make a traditional Advent calendar. There are lots of ways you can do this. You can make one from scratch — just google “DIY Advent calendar,” or you can buy one and add Scriptures to it. This blog offers free printable Scripture cards.
7. Pray Advent prayers. Either on the Sundays of Advent or each day leading up to Christmas, you can pray specific prayers to help you focus on the true meaning of Christmas. There are books that offer prayers for the season and there are also free resources like this one.
However you choose to celebrate this Advent season, I hope you enter the new year feeling hopeful, joyful, peaceful and loved. Joyful that Christ came, loved that Christ died for us and for our salvation, hopeful that Christ will come again, and peaceful knowing that God is in control.
***
Editor’s Note: This Advent, slow down and celebrate the joy of the season! Join our free 4-week text experience to stay grounded and reflect on the coming of Jesus. Text ADVENT to 32728 or go to boundless.org/advent to sign up.
We also recommend longtime Boundless contributor John Greco’s new book “Rediscovering Christmas: A Twelve-Day Journey to the Manger,” available through Boundless for a gift of any amount.
Copyright 2024 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.
