advent + making room
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| Credit: Pinterest |
If you know me, you know I love Christmas.
I like to believe God strategically ensured my date of birth was in the middle of the Summer so I could look forward to my birthday half the year, and Christmas the other half. It requires an inhumane amount of restraint for me to avoid playing Christmas music throughout all twelve months of the year. Once November comes around, I'm pretty much unstoppable- Michael Buble is blasting and I'm developing calluses by scrolling through Pinterest (the gift wrapping people come up with blows my mind).
That said, I do find myself increasingly wanting to await Christmas in a more contemplative, intentional way.
Though I was raised celebrating Advent, with a weekly family devotional and candle lighting in the month leading up to Christmas, I can't say I truly understood the importance of rhythmically coming together to anticipate the coming of Christ. It all seemed very liturgical to me, and I had a hard time seeing how liturgy could fit into a dynamic personal relationship with Jesus Christ (seriously, could I sound any more evangelical).
These past couple months, I have been learning about stillness, and "pausing" to meet with God (read here). As I have been sensing a strong conviction about actively seeking out times to listen to His voice, the observation of Advent seemed more interesting to me this year. It's almost like it gained significance.
Our culture hands us defaults that dictate the way we prepare for Christmas. But as Christians, we ought to challenge those defaults. And we ought to ensure our new default would be "what would set my heart on Jesus in this season?".
Let us ask ourselves important questions as the Christmas cheer ascends. How do we ensure we are looking upward and not missing the point? How can we make sure our lives and hearts are not as busy as Bethlehem the night of Christ's birth? How do we prepare Him room?
Advent, in its essence, is a beautiful invitation to willfully make room for the coming King. By making room in my schedule to remind myself of the spiritual significance of Christmas and the hope I have in Jesus, I ultimately am making room in my heart for Him. Sounds like Middle Age Christians who came up with the tradition of Advent wanted believers to be reminded of the celestial by doing something concrete......(this is precisely the moment where the evangelical sees that liturgy and dynamic faith perhaps shouldn't be a dichotomy)
So I'll be celebrating Advent this year, with my family (as usual) but also in my own times of meditation. Here are the ways I will be trying to "prepare Him room"!
Precisely, I will be doing She Reads Truth's 2017 Advent daily devotional. It will be released on December 3rd. You can also find their 2015 study and 2016 study. Such a beautiful way to read and study Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the birth of Christ.Though I was raised celebrating Advent, with a weekly family devotional and candle lighting in the month leading up to Christmas, I can't say I truly understood the importance of rhythmically coming together to anticipate the coming of Christ. It all seemed very liturgical to me, and I had a hard time seeing how liturgy could fit into a dynamic personal relationship with Jesus Christ (seriously, could I sound any more evangelical).
These past couple months, I have been learning about stillness, and "pausing" to meet with God (read here). As I have been sensing a strong conviction about actively seeking out times to listen to His voice, the observation of Advent seemed more interesting to me this year. It's almost like it gained significance.
Our culture hands us defaults that dictate the way we prepare for Christmas. But as Christians, we ought to challenge those defaults. And we ought to ensure our new default would be "what would set my heart on Jesus in this season?".
Let us ask ourselves important questions as the Christmas cheer ascends. How do we ensure we are looking upward and not missing the point? How can we make sure our lives and hearts are not as busy as Bethlehem the night of Christ's birth? How do we prepare Him room?
Advent, in its essence, is a beautiful invitation to willfully make room for the coming King. By making room in my schedule to remind myself of the spiritual significance of Christmas and the hope I have in Jesus, I ultimately am making room in my heart for Him. Sounds like Middle Age Christians who came up with the tradition of Advent wanted believers to be reminded of the celestial by doing something concrete......(this is precisely the moment where the evangelical sees that liturgy and dynamic faith perhaps shouldn't be a dichotomy)
So I'll be celebrating Advent this year, with my family (as usual) but also in my own times of meditation. Here are the ways I will be trying to "prepare Him room"!
I will also pray through Advent worship. I have been noticing, however, that there are not many Advent worship songs out there, al least not in the evangelical tradition (is it just me?). We sing about Jesus' birth, but not much about the expectant waiting beforehand. Three songs that do pertain to this season are: O Come O Come Emmanuel (Josh Garrels) and Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Meredith Andrews) and Prepare Him Room (Sovereign Grace)....Yes, these are the best versions to ever exist in my humble opinion. I will try to read them, write them out and pray the lyrics aloud in the weeks to come.
Lastly, I will be practicing the Daily Examen before bed every night. What is that, you ask? The Examen is a Jesuit technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day, to detect God's presence throughout it. It involves reviewing your day and discerning God's invitations or nudges, and your responses (or lack thereof). The goal of the exercise is not to condemn or praise ourselves, but it is a powerful reminder that we worship a God who is present. I view this as a way to dwell upon the words of the angel to Mary, that Christ Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.
Happy Advent, friends!
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| Credit: Pinterest |
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