Along with an Advent wreath, another way to mark the passing of days until Christmas is with an Advent calendar. There are varieties of these available in bookstores and even grocery stores. The common format is a big picture of a Christmas scene–either secular or religious. There are 24 or 25 little doors built into the calendar. Opening the door of the day will reveal a surprise picture–a shepherd, an angel, an elf…. Fancier calendars offer a daily piece of chocolate or other candy.
I once had a large burlap calendar with a winding road made of yarn. Each new day was marked by a loop of yarn. Little felt characters attached to Christmas tree hooks represented the members of our family . Everyday we moved the little people one loop closer to the manger and the Nativity scene. My children especially liked this calendar.
For the past few years I’ve been drawing my own calendars. Each day I’ll pray for a person or I’ll pray a word related to Advent and Christmas. Here’s a picture of last year’s calendar.
I’m not sure what format I’ll use this year, but my friend Cindy has created the template below for her calendar. Her website Mostly Markers has a downloadable version to print. There is also a link to her last year’s calendar which was beautiful.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.” (Psalms 100:4 NRSV)
Here is my Thanksgiving Day gratitude list–a turkey full of things and friends for which and for whom I am grateful. The turkey I drew is not quite large enough to accommodate all of the people who feed and nourish me. I sure hope the one I bought to eat is large enough to feed and nourish all those who will sit at our table today.
Lighting the candles on the Advent wreath is one of my favorite ways of marking the journey of waiting between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Advent wreath sits on a table or hangs horizontally with four candles on it. Each week, starting with the fourth Sunday before Christmas, someone in our family lights a new candle on the wreath. Week one, we light 1 candle; week two–2 candles; week three-3 candles….The added flame each week lets us know: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) With the celebration of the birth of Jesus on December 25, we come to the end of the darkness.
With the lighting of the candles, we say a prayer, read a passage from Scripture, or sing a song. Books and websites are available with suggestions for these readings and songs.
To create an Advent wreath you can purchase a metal, plastic or Styrofoam frame designed for just this purpose. Decorate it with cuttings from bushes, trees, plants, or herbs. Add pine cones or acorns. If you don’t have access to live greens, you can improvise with artificial greenery, green construction paper, or ribbon.
I’m not very good at winding the greens around the store-bought frame I have, so I usually set four candles on the table and noodle some greenery in and and around the candlesticks . My frustration level has gone down many percentage points ever since I gave myself permission to do this. I found the holly for the wreath in this picture on a rubbish heap on the curb in my neighborhood. With a box of matches I’m ready for this first Sunday of Advent.
I don’t cry easily. I can’t seem to cry even when the occasion calls for it. The past few months have been stressful for Andy and me. We focused much of our attention and energy on the possibility of moving. But the move isn’t happening. When we got the news on Friday, I was disappointed but also relieved as I said in my Saturday blog.
I went to church on Sunday feeling pretty chipper and ready for the next chapter of my life. Lots of people told us they were glad we were not going away. Then a friend looked at me the wrong way and I dissolved. I started to cry and couldn’t stop. All of the pent-up emotions from months of waiting and what-if-ing tumbled out.
I fled from the nave of the church. For the next hour I sat on some secluded stairs in the building and sobbed. My whole body shook and little animal noises escaped from my mouth. Tears flowed down my face. Years of them. It was if some inner dam had broken and along with the tears, lots of pent-up prayers poured out. I dumped feelings and worries on God that I didn’t even know I had.
I don’t think I’ve cried like that for over twenty years. Throughout the day I broke into spontaneous bouts of tears. But in the midst of my day-long sorrow, I felt surrounded by a huge rainbow of gratitude.
Scripture tells us that God “will wipe away the tears from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:8 NIV) But on Sunday, I think God gave me the tears. I am thankful for the release and cleansing of that gift.
Frosty and Santa appeared on this street corner about two weeks ago. By my calculations that’s about fifty days before Christmas. Do I really want to buy a tree that much ahead of time or see costumes of red and white while pumpkins and gourds still adorn our neighborhood? Okay, I’m being petty and peevish. But I’ll be grouchy for only one or two more sentences.
This is my favorite time of year. I love the smell of decaying leaves and the colors of November sunsets. I love hunkering down under an afghan with a book. But most of all I love Advent.
Advent is the four-week season of waiting and expectation before Christmas. Starting with the fourth Sunday before Christmas, Christians pray and prepare their hearts for the celebration of the birth of Jesus as well as the second coming of Christ. Advent, which begins next Sunday, is a season rich in Christian spiritual practices and traditions which help us mark and count the dark days before “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14 NKJV). As early as the 400’s, Christians have kept Advent as a season of penitence and preparation.
So I have nothing personal against Frosty and Santa. I’d just like them to show up a little closer to Christmas–maybe around December 20–about the same time my family puts up our tree. In my perfect world, we’d all celebrate Advent starting November 29 and celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas starting on December 25. I will try not to be grouchy when all the neighbors’ Christmas trees are on the curb on December 26. Mine will still be standing and atwinkle in my living room until at least January 6–the feast of the Epiphany– or if I’m really lazy until the first day of Lent.
Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God combines memoir with theology. Step-by step instructions introduce the practice of praying in color as a way to do intercessory prayer. »ABOUT SYBIL MACBETH
I’m not sure what format I’ll use this year, but my friend Cindy has created the template below for her calendar. Her website Mostly Markers has a downloadable version to print. There is also a link to her last year’s calendar which was beautiful.
