Preparing for Advent: November's Coffee & Community Event
November 16th women gathered at Avant Bicycle & Cafe in Lake Geneva to talk about preparing for the advent season that was soon to begin. We talked about the “craze and haze” of the holiday season and tried to get ahead of it by having a conversation about how to stay in the moment, resources to use for advent season to remind us of the meaning, and just reflected on how we personally experience the holiday season. Coming together as a local community of women to encourage through the possible hardships and support positive, truth-focused orientation through the season was a wonderful experience and I hope the support and encouragement continues past the meetings! Read below for the program given during the coffee and community event.
Preparing for the Advent Season
Are we really going to talk about preparing for a season that is all about preparing? Yes. And, I would think we all know why- the holiday season often brings the holiday craze and haze. The craze is the busyness and haze is sometimes how we get through it.
So, before we even enter Thanksgiving, I want to take time to consider how the holiday time itself is a gift and how remembering that gift may help us find not only rest in the craze, but a solution to the haze that makes us miss the moments that matter.
Tim Keller wrote in his book Hidden Christmas, “The joy that Christmas brings…I would like to argue that we often fail to experience this Christian joy because the means to achieving it are so ordinary.” The means to Christian joy are ordinary. They are the small things that call our attention to the magnitude of the season.
Advent was traditionally a time of prayer and fasting, allowing for the anticipation of a special “coming” to sink in. For the four weeks leading to Christmas we are offered the same opportunity. To receive a gift of taking pause and letting the gift of a promised Savior to sink in. To bring our attention to the fulfilled promise we celebrate on Christmas. A baby born for us to have hope amidst the world. That God loves us and has not forgotten his people.
So, what are the small things that can bring our attention to the gift of the season?
How can we remember that the family, gifts, and celebrations can serve as a reflection of the true meaning of this sweet season?
How can it help us soak up more meaning in a season that seems to go so quick in hindsight?
And, the sweet gift of our advent experience, is the anticipation of something good, of a promise to be fulfilled, is still here. We are experiencing advent for the next coming of Christ.
Taking in the small things…
Listen {actually listen} to the words of traditional Christmas songs. We did the example of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” using Tim Keller’s Hidden Christmas book as a guide.
Get an advent devotional! Steal a few moments away per day to reflect on the gift of the season giving you rest and purpose of times. A few recommendations are provided today and will be shared on social media the next couple of days. We recommended Manger Glory by Brooke Lee of God Loves All of Me, She Reads Truth, and IF: Equip.
Follow @asmittenlife on Instagram and engage with advent season. We are going through Manger Glory for advent this year and will be posting about that and our process throughout the season.