Advent in My Neighborhood

or listen

Basking in the glow of Thanksgiving, the fridge is stuffed with leftovers. Christmas decorations beckon to be freed from their red crates and the tree carried up to the living room. There are lists to be made and holiday festivities just ahead.

Hold onto your hats. We’ve officially entered the Christmas Season!

Suiting up in snow pants, gloves, and my favorite hat with LED light shining on the front, I called the dog to go for a moonlit walk. Down the road, my thoughts began tumbling about Advent. Amidst all the holiday hustle, many times we don’t think much about this sacred season that begins four Sundays before Christmas leading up to our Savior’s birth.

No better time to delight in all the things God is ... Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and my favorite, Emmanuel.

Though I didn’t appreciate it then, I’m grateful for growing up in a liturgical church with special Christmas traditions and services. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas without the Advent wreath on the coffee table and a Christmas devotional read in the candlelight each night.

Gazing at the stars, I used the still, solitary time to pray, asking the Lord,

“How would you have me draw closer to you this Advent?”

An intriguing advent devotional a friend had mentioned earlier that day floated through my mind. Pulling out my phone I googled as quickly as my bare, freezing fingers could type. Reading the description, it wasn’t quite what I thought. It fell flat.

I’m interested in the heroes of the faith, maybe there’s a book out there that has daily readings featuring one of them each day? Momentary excitement and then flat. No, that’s not it.

December was my last month on my Spiritual Giant Journey with Mister Rogers. How quickly the time I had left would be crowded if I focused on other resources. Something inside said, “Stay on the Journey. Savor these moments.”

I thought, "I wonder if there is a way to combine Advent and my Giant Journey?” How would Mister Rogers celebrate Advent?” 

He would celebrate it in his neighborhood.
 

I imagined him loving the people in his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania; attending the special services in his Presbyterian church, and feasting on the Catholic candlelight and vespers services at St. Vincent’s that he also regularly attended.  I wondered if Latrobe had a community Christmas tree lighting that he attended with his family. I could just about see him bundling up in his wool coat, scarf, mittens, and ear muffs, drinking hot cocoa and “oohing” and “ahhing” with his Latrobe neighbors in the magical moment when the tree lights came on for the first time. 

“That’s it!!!  I was to celebrate, “Advent in My Neighborhood.” 

Instead of looking for outside resources to pull in, I could celebrate the Season with what was right in front of me! 

Hadn’t I heard about a  “Ladies Christmas Tea” at our church in last week's announcements?

Driving down the main street of the little country town, we call home, hadn’t I seen a “Christmas Tree Lighting” banner (with a square almost like an eye patch covering last year’s date and a hand-drawn number for this year’s) as we passed through town? 

Like Fred, my spiritual path criss-crossed both Catholic and Protestant faiths, hadn’t I just received an email from a good friend who’s Catholic, inviting me to their women’s Advent celebration? 

At church the next morning, I spotted one of our young pastors. Noticing the microphone headset running along his cheek I asked, “Oh, are you preaching this morning?” 

“Yes,” he said, “I am. I get to preach on one of my favorite passages, John 1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”
 

That sounded like Advent and our church doesn’t usually do Advent? Many protestant churches don’t.  
 

I responded, “Oh, is that a Christmas message?”  

“Yes, actually we’re starting an Advent series this week!”
 

Another piece in my puzzle! I couldn’t get into the service fast enough. I even snagged my foot on the carpet and stumbled. It’s hard to keep your cool when you see God's path blazing in front of you. I started taking notes during the message. Then I thought, “Hey, you should record this, and then during the week when you want to do an Advent devotional, listen to the recording.”

Within just a few hours everything had fallen into place.  I felt excitement, joy, and adventure reveling in God’s living Advent plan, just for ME!

______

As the Christmas season begins, with shopping, decorating, and festivities all part of this wonderful season, could we begin with our own “Sacred Saturday" tradition? Take a moonlit walk, sit beside the fire, or sip a hot mug of coffee in our early morning quiet time, asking the Lord,

“How would you have me draw close to you this Christmas season?”

Then listen. Pay attention to the thoughts that come.  Is there a book that comes to your mind? A website, sermon series, or sacred music?  A practice, like walking in the moonlight, lighting the candles of an Advent wreath, reading Christmas scriptures slowly, and journaling?

Following each thought, let go of the ones that fall flat (low energy or joy). Keep going until you discover the ones that fill you with joy and excitement. Receive the Advent path God has just for you.

_________

When you have your Sacred Saturday time with God ...

What special Advent plan do you sense God illuminating just for you?

~Lori