I sat down once again to update our family calendar for the month of December, after opening another email from the school.
“Don’t forget! The holiday band concert will begin at 7pm on December 12 . . .”
“Here’s your friendly reminder about the class holiday party. We need more parents to donate supplies in order to ensure the students have a fun time! Click this link to sign up to volunteer and/or donate!”
“Join us for the Staff Christmas party on December 15th at 6pm. It will be an evening full of dinner, dessert, and great holiday games. Hope you’ll join us!”
“Once last reminder about the Choir concert occurring tomorrow evening!”
Suddenly I found my December calendar so full of activities that I became exhausted. In order to survive, we began to live by a checklist.
Get the tree up: check
Decorate the house: check
Classroom party: check
Choir concerts: check
Band concerts: check
Staff party: check
Bake Christmas cookies: check
Coordinate with family about holiday travel: check
Buy Christmas gifts: check
Before I knew it, Christmas was reduced to a checklist instead of an opportunity to worship the gift of Jesus.
We’ve all felt this tension around the holiday season. Our to-do lists get so long and so demanding, that there is very little emotional or spiritual margin to engage with the Christmas story in a meaningful way.
Maybe we read the story on Christmas morning, but—if we’re honest—we read out of habit, not out of worship. One more thing to check off our list.
I still remember the first time I saw someone post about Advent. My initial thought was, “I don’t have time for one more family activity on my calendar.” What I failed to realize was that Advent wasn’t one more activity.
Advent is a season designed to soften our hearts and humble our minds before the Lord. We do this by using the four weeks before Christmas to intentionally remember the birth of our Savior.
Advent means “coming towards.” It points us towards a profound spiritual journey. This journey is not about Christmas day itself, but about the days leading towards it—days of anticipation, preparation, hope, and ultimately, love.
The essence of Advent is to prepare our hearts and minds for the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ—the ultimate gift of love and salvation to mankind. It’s a season that reimagines the sacred “waiting” of the people of Israel for their Messiah and, at the same time, anticipates the glorious “coming again” of Christ.
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14
Amidst the holiday chaos, Advent anchors us into a rhythm that’s counter-cultural. We seek peace amidst frenzy, expectancy in a world of immediacy, and joy where there seems to be none. It’s a sacred invitation to let Christ reign over your Christmas season.
There’s no singular way to celebrate Advent. Many Churches separate the four Sundays leading up to Advent into a four week focus.
Week 1: Hope (or promise)
Week 2: Preparation (waiting on God)
Week 3: Joy and peace
Week 4: Love
Within each of the week’s themes, the goal is to meditate on that aspect of the Christmas story. There are also reading plans designed to give you specific Scripture over each week’s theme.
While historically, this was the only way to celebrate Advent, now there are many different traditions, ideas, or activities used to embrace the Advent season. If this is your first year embracing Advent, try these few steps and ask the Lord to prepare, humble, and soften your heart towards him this Christmas season.
First, embrace the waiting. In a world enslaved to instant gratification, waiting might seem like an unnatural practice. But, think of it this way: the deeper the darkness, the brighter the light. The experience of longing, pining, and expectation makes the fulfillment feel that much sweeter and meaningful. As we anticipate Christmas Day, we engage with the narrative of Israel longing for their Messiah and participate with all the saints in the longing for Christ’s return.
“If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.”
John 14:3
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
1 Corinthians 15:3
Second, intentionally invite people to gather around your table for a meal and to share stories. Sharing a meal nurtures connectivity and belonging. As you gather around the table, take time to share stories of faith, read Bible stories centered on Christ’s birth, or sing carols that encapsulate the message of Advent and waiting. Throughout Scripture, God continually uses a shared table and a meal to help people engage with his plan. The first Passover meal in Exodus 12, the continual festivals mandated by God in the Old Testament, Jesus sitting with his disciples at the last supper, and the early church gathering around a table over a meal all show the significance and importance of sharing a meal. Food brings comfort, and shared narratives bring understanding.
“On this mountain, the Lord of Armies will prepare for all the peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast with aged wine, prime cuts of choice meat, fine vintage wine.”
Isaiah 25:6
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”
Acts 2:42
Third, try an Advent calendar. An Advent calendar can be a meaningful way to mark each day leading to Christmas with intentionality. There are several different types of calendars. Some read a verse every day. Others include prayer, a short devotional, or an act of kindness. The goal of an Advent calendar is to teach us patience and how to embrace the period of expectancy and waiting.
Lastly, continually remind yourself of the reason we celebrate this season. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, who came as our beacon of hope, peace, joy, and love. With each passing day of Advent, strive to discern his voice amidst the chatter and chaos. Let hope flourish, let peace pervade, let joy bubble, and let love reign.
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
As we reorient our hearts and minds through these Advent traditions, the joy of Christmas can become tangible again. Purposefully orienting our hearts toward God through the celebration of Advent reminds us of God’s love for humanity and the length he went to restore us unto himself.
As we step into this Advent season, let’s commit to a journey towards Christmas with intentionality and anticipation. Let’s lean into Christ, for only in him, does Christmas regain its true, undiluted joy.
Photo Credit: Jenna Martin
Kari Minter is a pastor’s wife, an author, and a Bible teacher who is passionate about helping people cultivate a deeper walk with God. With over a decade of experience teaching in public schools and a Masters in Theological Studies, Kari is known for her deep theological insight delivered in a helpful and practical way. When she is not writing and teaching, you can find her supporting her three teenagers, planning outdoor adventures, or reading a good book.
