journeys-page

Advent is one of my favorite times of the year. The decorations, the music, the emphasis on giving – and most of all, the birth of a baby destined to be our guide, our inspiration, our savior – make this a time we can look forward to and treasure each year.  By the beginning of Advent, my house will be filled with angels, nativity scenes and other decorations I look forward to taking out of storage right after Thanksgiving each year. Then I’ll begin baking cookies and other treats that are a special part of our family’s Christmas celebrations. Throughout December these special parts of our Christmas celebration will help us keep our focus on the reason we are celebrating.  The Way Seekers small group that meets during the GIFT hour has joined in an Advent study each December since we formed three years ago. We’ve discussed the Grinch, Ebenezer Scrooge, angels in our midst and this year we’re considering several extraordinary Biblical characters who wouldn’t have been expected to be involved in the arrival of the Messiah. The magi and the shepherds may be part of some Christmas pageants, but we will also discuss Zechariah and Elizabeth, whose significance precedes Jesus’ birth, as well as Herod, typically considered the villain in Jesus’ story. Our book, An Unlikely Advent, will help us learn more about hope, love, joy and peace alongside these characters who function more like sidekicks than the main attraction in the nativity story.