"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:2-6

“The word advent means “expectation.” What advent can do for us is create a sense of hope.” – Louie Giglio

Growing up, I don’t really remember celebrating or learning about Advent. The months of November and December just mashed into one giant Christmas celebration! Yet as I grew up, I felt the tension between how hard life is and the joy of Christmas. This is when I first grew to be interested in the idea of Advent. I started researching, looking for books, and participating in Advent in my own way.

 Advent is the time of celebration before Christmas.  The word Advent means "arrival" and signifies the start of an event or the arrival of a person. In Christian communities around the world, Advent refers to a four-week season of remembering and celebrating the arrival of Jesus on Earth. It marks the season of anticipation and hope for Christmas, while also acknowledging the brokenness and pain of the world as it is. Essentially, it’s a breath and a pause before the Christmas celebrations. 

While Advent is often observed in more traditional churches, it is now growing in popularity among even non-denominational and evangelical churches. Perhaps because we are all tired of the marketing, the crazy busyness and the noise that has overtaken this season. So, if you are new to Advent, or just looking for a way to observe this special season in your own life, this blog post is for you. I am going to share some resources, tips and tricks to add Advent into your celebrations, and ideas for marking this season. Let’s go! 

THE POWER OF A PAUSE

“The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.” – Henri Nouwen

One of the biggest reasons that Advent was appealing to me, was because I was quite tired of all the noise of Christmas. The stores that put up decorations in October, the massive sales trying to get you to buy, the endless events and parties and deadlines that all seem to crop up in this season. It was very overwhelming. All of the noise made it hard for me to focus on Christ, on the beauty and simplicity of what Christmas really means.

Advent offered a slower rhythm. A way to celebrate and mark the season in a slower way that made sense to me. If you are really interested in the history of this season, I suggest doing some research! If you are wishing that you could slow down a bit and embrace the quiet aspect of Advent, it’s easy to start!

You can create a simple Advent wreath for yourself, 4 candles, one for each week. Choose some scripture or a devotional to read. Set aside time each day for scripture, prayer and reflection. It doesn’t have to be flashy or even consistent! Just start with something. Read on for more ways to get started! 

SOME WAYS TO OBSERVE ADVENT

“Optimism and hope are radically different attitudes. Optimism is the expectation that things—the weather, human relationship, the economy, the political situation, and so on—will get better. Hope is trust that God will fulfill God’s promises to us in a way that leads us to true freedom. The optimist speaks about concrete changes in the future. The person of hope lives in the moment with the knowledge and trust that all of life is in good hands.” – Henri Nouwen

Advent does not have to take over your Christmas celebrations. It can be an add-on to deepen your experience. Here are just a few ways to observe Advent this year.

• Read an Advent devotional. There are ones that you can do on your own or do with your own family. It can be an easy way to learn about Advent and add it into your daily rhythms. I have listed a few of my favorites in the resources section!
• Be slow to jump into Christmas. This is one of my least favorite parts of Advent. However, it is customary for the season of Advent to put up decorations or even listen to Christmas music very slowly or even wait for the 12 days of Christmas.
• Find a local Advent event. Perhaps one of your local churches is doing a live nativity or a concert with a focus on Christ.
• Search for Advent specific music. Choose your favorite music streaming platform and search “Advent Music” you might be surprised by the beautiful hymns and songs you can find.
• Fast in some way. Advent can also be a season of fasting. It doesn’t have to be food, instead it could be something that is distracting for you. Something like sugar, doom scrolling, social media, alcohol, or any electronic game that is addictive.
• Light candles. Every week for Advent we light one more candle, 4 in total. You could set up your own advent wreath with any type of candle and light them when you have time for reflection.

What else should I add to this list? 

RESOURCES

“At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving the others with God’s own love and concern.” – Mother Teresa, Love: A Fruit Always in Season

These are just a few of the resources that I have loved using during my Advent celebrations. 

• Shadow & Light by Tsh Oxenrider A beautiful devotional for anyone who wants to slow down and marvel at art, music and scripture during the Advent Season.
• Waiting on the Word by Malcolm Guite A poem a day for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Enjoy some poetry, celebrate the season and let your heart ponder.
• The Wonder of the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp This is a beautiful pop-up, interactive Advent devotional that my whole family loves. We gather around, hang up a little ornament on the paper tree and read scripture and pray together. A very worthwhile investment!
• Dwell The Dwell app offers Advent studies every year, you can listen to scripture and grow in faith. 

REFLECTION

“It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.” – Pope Benedict XVI

Advent can be such a special season. It can build excitement and hope for Christmas! And remind us why celebrating the birth of Christ is so important for us personally. Whether you start to observe Advent or just add in a few Advent things to your Christmas celebrations, may this season of light be a blessing for you and your family! 

Questions for reflection:

To get the most out of these questions, grab a journal and write out your answers. Allow yourself to ponder and reflect!

• Have you celebrated or marked Advent in the past? How has that impacted your Christmas? 
• If you haven’t before, would you like to mark Advent in some way? If you have, will you continue to observe Advent?
• What ways could you observe Advent this year? (Maybe also check to see if your church is doing anything, or if there are any local Advent events.)
• What is one thing from this blog post that really stood out to you?
• How are you going to celebrate Advent this year?

"A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” - Isaiah 40:3-5

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” -  Isaiah 12:2-6

“A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes – and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God is in the Manger