Advent is the first season of the Church Year. The Church year repeats, annually, the entirety of human history. Advent, like Sunday itself, does double duty, representing both the start of a new thing, and the culmination of what has come before: the inbreaking reality of God’s action.
In Advent, we learn to wait for Christ’s second coming by learning from those who waited for his first coming. And as we do so we discover that Christ has come in a third way: into our lives already. Advent is a season of preparation. We prepare for Christmas, yes. We prepare for Christ’s return as well. But we also hear from the prophet John the Baptist to “prepare the way of the Lord, to make straight his paths.” To where does God want to go? Into our lives. So we prepare ourselves for everything the new year holds: for God’s action around, in, and through us.
Below, find resources, both from our church and elsewhere, that may help you prepare for Christ’s coming this Advent.
Advent Resources:
Travel Companion
The Church year is a cyclical journey with God. We put together travel companions for the different seasons of the year, to help you make the most of them!
Devotional
We put together a devotional booklet with some Scripture, discussion or devotional questions, coloring pages, and reflections all created by folks from Westwood. We hope this booklet is helpful and meaningful for all who use it.
A Prayer of Examen
Examen prayer is simply a type of prayer meant to help you reflect on on the moments of life where you encountered God throughout the day, cherishing them, and asking how to move forward with this in mind. This is but one way to structure Examen Prayer.
External Resources
Advent: the Season of Hope by Tish Harrison Warren
We tend to think of Advent as the season of anticipation before Christmas―and while it is that, it’s also much more. Throughout its history, the church has observed Advent as a preparation not only for the first coming of Christ in his incarnation but also for his second coming at the last day. It’s also about a third coming: the coming of Christ to meet us in our present moment, to make us holy by his Word and Sacrament.
Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ by Fleming Rutledge
Advent, says Fleming Rutledge, is not for the faint of heart. As the midnight of the Christian year, the season of Advent is rife with dark, gritty realities. In this book, with her trademark wit and wisdom, Rutledge explores Advent as a time of rich paradoxes, a season celebrating at once Christ’s incarnation and his second coming, and she masterfully unfolds the ethical and future-oriented significance of Advent for the church.
- Buy the book on Amazon here
Everyday Gospel Christmas Devotions by Paul David Trip
Paul David Tripp offers 25 selected Christmas readings, adapted from his book Everyday Gospel, with study questions to help readers reflect on Scripture’s entire redemption story during the month of December.
- Buy the book on Christianbook here
The Advent Adventure: A Family Devotional
It may be the one thing on your children’s minds as Christmas draws near. But what happens when all of the presents are opened and the toys are put away? What happens when the excitement fades and your children have nothing else to look forward to? What then? How can you teach your family what the true anticipation and excitement of Christmas is about? As a parent, you must continually remind your children that Christmas is all about Jesus.
- Buy the book on Daily Grace here