Advent

Bobbi Salkeld

Do you have churchy things you love? Here's one of mine. Beside my desk, I put up the same strange calendar every year. 

It starts “telling time” on the first Sunday of Advent, and it ends on Christian New Year’s Eve. It’s called “Salt of the Earth: A Christian Seasons Calendar.” I order it every fall. 

But it’s not the most straightforward calendar to use. Frankly, it’s disorienting. 

Instead of starting on January 1, the first “month” is Advent (four weeks). 
The second is Christmas (12 days). 
The third is Epiphany, covering chunks of January and February.
The fourth is Lent (six weeks).
The fifth is Holy Week (maybe in March or April). 
The sixth is Easter (50 days!). 
The seventh is The Season After Pentecost (aka Ordinary Time). 
The eighth through eleventh are ditto.

And still, as messed up as this calendar makes me, it’s always done something good for my soul. So every Advent, I work to remember how much I love this churchy thing – seasons that centre the life of Jesus. 

What Can Advent Do for You?

Following the liturgical calendar (personally and communally) reminds us of three things. 

The first is that life moves forward in cycles and seasons. Birth, death, new life – repeat. Winter, spring, summer, fall – repeat. Growth, struggle, wisdom – repeat. 

The second reminder is that we are not alone. We belong to a sprawling faith tradition, and that puts us in the company of people past and present who doubted and loved just like we doubt and love. Every Advent is a new year to remember solidarity. 

The third is that everything about being human can be found in the Divine. Jesus shows us God. God is so in love with life, committed to our healing, and bound up in our relationships that we have everything we need when we seek to be like Christ – even in his vulnerable infancy.

Advent is where we find hope in the dark – tiny and growing like an embryo in a womb.  

So, as we start a New Year together on the first Sunday of Advent, consider how you can make Advent a little more real this season. 

How to Get Into Advent

Here are some resources we recommend. 

For Families – 
The Jesus Storybook Bible Reading Plan downloadable pdf 
All Creation Waits: Children’s Edition by Gayle Boss (Author) and Sharon Spitz (Illustrator)

Advent Readings – 
The Poetry of Advent: An Advent Companion to Mary Oliver’s “Devotions” by SALT Project – downloadable for a small price as a companion to Mary Oliver's Devotions  (a bit niche, but seeing as I preached a whole sermon on Mary Oliver, I thought I'd include it)
Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent by Tsh Oxenreider – new to me this year and easy to throw on your Kindle 
Also! Sarah Bessey is doing a new Advent series over at Field Notes. 

Music– 
The Brilliance, Advent vol. 1 – Kevin recommends! You can find it onSpotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

Christmas Eve was incredible together
checkout the full service here