Advent

I love the anticipation leading up to Christmas during the season of Advent. It's like taking a trip—the planning and the dreaming and the looking forward—there is so much joy and excitement in the days leading up to the big event.

To observe Advent, our family lights the appropriate candle(s) on the four Sunday evenings leading up to Christmas. We eat together at the dining room table instead of at the kitchen table where we typically have dinner. I put out a table cloth and it all feels quite celebratory. We say prayers and read verses as we light the candles. We try to steer the conversation in meaningful ways. It really doesn't matter what we eat. Last Sunday we ate leftovers; maybe next week I'll throw together a pasta. We gather, we anticipate the birth of the Peace Lover and World Shaker, and we enjoy sacred time together.

The prayers we're using for lighting the candle are found HERE.

Week 1 verse: Isaiah 52: 7-10; Discussion Prompt: Waiting
Week 2 verse: Luke 21: 21-36; Discussion Prompt: Expectation
Week 3 verse: Luke 1: 46-55; Discussion Prompt: Humility + Hope
Week 4 verse: Luke 2: 1-7; Discussion Prompt: The Birth of Jesus!

Also, this is great: