Advent Weeks 1 & 2

Advent is a time to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christ coming into the world, to imagine what life was like as Israel was waiting for the promised Messiah, and to get ready for the final return of Jesus. So each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas are marked by storytelling about Christ’s coming and self-examination and hearing from voices who announced his coming.

Each Sunday during Advent season a brief resource is provided for you to use with family or friends. The recommendation is that you set aside at least 15 minutes each week to gather with friends or family to share these Advent Reflections. Much of the material is inspired by and taken from www.simpleliving.org.

Consider making an Advent Wreath
Take a shallow bowl and fill with sand or salt and place four purple candles around the edges, or use candle holders. Place one large white candle in the middle. Make a circle of evergreens and place around the bowl or candle holders.

You need a Bible, matches, and you can also use a manger scene.

Light one candle during this week’s reflection. The second week, light two, then three the third week and four the fourth. On Christmas Eve, light all and the middle white candle.

Set aside some time each week for this short ceremony. Invite those who are alone to join you in worship. Use the telephone to join someone. Gather as a family or with friends.

Read and Meditate and Prepare Ourselves
Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

Discuss
Are you prepared for this season? Are you already stressed out? Why? Have you considered giving the gift of time this month?

Average Americans consume five times more than Mexicans, ten times more than average Chinese, and twenty times more than average person in India. What do you really need this Christmas?

Are we willing to spend less on ourselves and more to needy people?

With your Nativity scene at home . . . What if we hide Wise Men, Shepherds, Jesus until we read that part of the story closer to Christmas, then we put each person in as we read along?

Calendar--Plan times to make visits, bake cookies for someone, donate your time or money to charities. Plan your shopping only on certain days. Plan NOT to be going to stores everyday in December but plan this out together. Plan your Advent Reflection times for a certain time together.

Sing
O come, O come, Emmanuel / And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here / Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel

Advent Reflections Week 2

Read and Meditate
Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12.

Read this aloud . . .

Make room in your heart for the Lord!

“While Waiting”
Start in the basement where it’s cold and dark;
Reach deep into the shadows of the recesses of your heart.
Empty crammed closets; donate clothes no longer needed.
Throw out the trash; from your fears be relieved.
Remove extra furniture and bric-a-brac that clutters;
Climb attic stairs, and without oaths one sometimes uters,
Clear out a lifetime of baggage and broken toys.
Take a broom to clinging cobwebs and the memory that cloys.
Throw open attic windows and that stuck cellar door;
Breathe in a breath of fresh Spirit;
Welcome God’s newborn Son forevermore.
Make room in your heart, your mind and your soul
For Christ each day to dwell.
Embody the Good news that angels still sing;
Jesus is God-with-us,
Emmanuel!

--Ashley M. Calhoun, Beulah UMC, Knoxville, Tennessee

Make room in your heart for the Lord!

Sing
Play your favorite songs about Jesus and Christmas. Each person in your group or family could decide a song to play. Have one of the children burn a CD with all the songs off of iTunes or just play CDs . . . or old records, if you have a record player!

Pray
Dear Father, we’re wandering in your world. We often come fully in a circle and recognize the path we’ve been so many times. Teach us to learn from this journey to love you more as you have loved us. Holy God, help us make room in our hearts for Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us.