I don’t know about you, but I need help for that! And I’m always delighted to find new inspiration. I want to live ADVENTurously, differently, inspiringly, over these next few weeks. Yes, they’ll be busy, but they can also be special; a glorious adventure, as we journey to the manger and anticipate His second coming. You can read more about that here But only FOUR WEEKS? Why not make it SIX WEEKS of enjoyment?

Six weeks to -

- PAUSE

- PREPARE

- PRAY & PRAISE

We are used to 4 weeks of Advent. From childhood we’ve enjoyed an Advent calendar with 25 little doors, one to open each day. Traditionally, each door opened to show a small picture or painting illustrating an aspect of the Christmas story as told in the Gospels. You begin on December 1st and on the 25th, the door opens on to the full stable glory with the baby in a manger. My grandchildren greedily enjoy a chocolate behind each door. The only time of the year they are allowed chocolate before school each morning!

I’ve recently seen Advent calendars for adults with miniature bottles of alcohol, expensive perfumes or designer cosmetics, retailing for hundreds of pounds!

What would Jesus say, I ask myself. Expecting Him to be negative, judgmental, disapproving.

A little voice said, He enjoyed partying when He was in human form. And maybe, just maybe, one person will discover the real meaning of Christmas even through one of those adult calendars. In which case, isn’t it worth it?

ADVENT is the start of the church calendar and begins four Sundays before Christmas - so a little longer than the Advent calendars. November 27th 2022.

Which is odd as Christmas Day 2022 is a Sunday so to my unmathematical mind that makes 5 Sundays this time!

Maybe it’s a good time for a new beginning, at the start of the church new year? A new way to pause and prepare, a new way to approach Advent?

A FORTY DAY ADVENT

CELTIC and ORTHODOX Christians start Advent earlier - a 40 day journey (like Lent) to pause, prepare, pray and praise. Even fast - go without something. It’s a journey, one that we all take as we prepare for the Day of the Nativity.

Whether it’s putting up decorations, present buying, producing vast amounts of food or (and?!) paying for it all with rising stress levels, we get ready for Christmas. And probably collapse in a worn out heap afterwards as we groan - at the credit card bills, gain on the scales and gifts to return.

But there is another journey, a daily journey, of preparing hearts and minds for the coming of Emmanuel, God with us.

To take forty days, to pause and prepare, pray and praise. A journey of faith, that can change our hearts, from sadness to joy, from despair to hope, as we begin to get a glimpse of why ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’

So this year, I’m starting Advent on November 15th!

40 days before Christmas.

40 days of short Scripture reflections.

40 days of preparation.

40 days of a new beginning.

What could Advent look like for you this year?

What would help you to live ADVENTurously, a little differently, challenging you to grasp joy instead of sorrow, hope instead of despair, a new outlook instead of a new credit card bill.

How might you open your heart to Emmanuel, inviting Him to dwell with you so that you behold His glory? (John 1:14)

Why not:

Create your own Advent wreath of 6 candles (instead of 4) to add the extra 2 weeks of joyous preparation, and set aside a special time each week to light a candle and lean towards the Lord
Make a list of good things for which to be grateful. Perhaps start a gratitude journal and add 4 or 5 things each evening as you reflect back over the day. ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!’ (Ps 107:1-3, ESV)
Listen to Advent songs and worship (see below for some links). Or create your own playlist.
Learn John 1:1-16 off by heart, maybe in a different translation to the one you usually hear or know. Divide the verses into sections and learn one each day until by Christmas Day you can recite the whole section and have it deep in your heart forever.
Build a little sacred garden for Advent. Gather pebbles and candles and plants, whatever is helpful, to put together on a large plate or a tiny tray. Snip some pine twigs for aroma, add a pine cone or two; a stone or pebble that you can pick up and hold as a prayer tool; wood to remind you of the manger; holly with red berries as a reminder of why Jesus came and the blood that He shed for you. What would you add?
Assemble a few special items to create a Sacred Space for Advent - somewhere you meet with Jesus during your times especially with Him. What do you need to help you draw close to Him? Maybe a holding cross, to anchor you to this time; a beautiful candle to light to remind you that He is the light of the world, a light shining in our darkness; a journal and pencil, colouring pens and paper; a picture or a postcard with special symbolic meaning for you …… Keep them out to remind you every time you see them that you will have a conversation with the Lord there. Or if you can’t keep them out, have them in a gorgeous basket or box to quickly and easily put together.

RESOURCES:

Here are books, calendars, candles, music, that I’ve found particularly helpful and can highly recommend! AND a very special offer at the end.

Starting with Celtic/Orthodox Advent.

ADVENT CALENDAR for 40 days. I love this! Especially as it begins with grace - grace over guilt here! Lots of lovely daily ideas to help us go deeper with Jesus; plus it actually continues on to Epiphany (Jan 6th). I’m printing this out!

Celtic Prayer Cards:

From GodSpaceLight - A pack of 10 Celtic Prayer cards, inspired by ancient Celtic saints like Patrick and Columba or by contemporary Celtic writers like John O’Donohue. A short reflection on the back of each card will introduce you to the Celtic Christian tradition. These cards can be used by individuals for daily meditation or by groups. They can also be used for spiritual direction, counseling and grief therapy. Also available as a pdf to download (which is cheaper!)

"I love this extended period of preparation. I also love that there are no set rules to follow. No known symbols specifically for the Celtic Advent season. So I can invite the Spirit to stir my imagination and creativity to create my own.” - Christine Sine reflecting on a Celtic Advent.

I’m starting my Celtic Advent with a book from the Orthodox church! Mixing rich traditions. Why not? No rules, as Christine Sine points out! (see above) It’s a 40 day journey, of short Scriptural readings, a brief devotional thought and a prayer. My husband and I are reading it aloud each day. Join us?

‘Spending a few minutes each day reading and reflecting on these scriptures will not change your status either. It will change your heart. You will better understand the "good news of a great joy," and why "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." AND AS YOU PREPARE TO AGAIN CELEBRATE GOD'S GREATEST GIFT TO US, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER WITH A MORE GRATEFUL HEART YOUR GIFTS TO HIM.’ - from the blurb for ‘Let All Creation Rejoice’

Celtic Advent by David Cole (published by BRF). Previously a full-time church minister, David Cole is an international spiritual teacher and retreat leader, an award-winning author and an Explorer Guide for the Community of Aidan and Hilda. He is also the founder of Waymark Ministries which creates opportunities for people to engage with the Christian message.

40 days, often based on the lives of Celtic saints, each day with introduction, contemplation, reading and prayer.(all brief!) Swirls from the Book of Kells, which I love, and questions to reflect on.

Visit (virtually) the beautiful Nativity Scene Festival at Meapkin Abbey What in the UK we call Nativity Scene is CRECHE Festival in the USA!

THE BOOKS

Celebrating Christmas by Amy Boucher Pye and Leo Boucher.

Amy’s lovely book, words by her and illustrations by her father Leo. A daily thought, prayers, suggestions for reflections. It’s a beautiful gift to give and to receive! If you order from her website she will inscribe it for you - a great idea for Christmas gifts!

New for this year - ‘Contemplating Christmas’ by Abby Ball

“Christmas can be a time when life gets overwhelming as the world piles more and more ideals of perfection and happiness on us. Abby Ball’s new Advent devotional is a warm and inviting counterbalance to these unsettling messages. It’s a place to sit down in the silence and to find God there with us when our lives are less than perfect. Abby’s words are lyrical and beautiful, and welcome us into a place of authenticity and vulnerability, where we can admit to the difficulties of life while finding hope in this great and enduring story of love come down. Contemplating Christmas is a lavish feast, a gentle rest and an enticing journey to joy, and it will soothe your weary places this Advent season.” - Liz Carter

The Whole Christmas Story by Jo Swinney.

An intriguing sense of adventure on a journey to Bethlehem, that starts in Eden on December 1st and ends in a garden city full of water on January 6th. You can read my interview with the author and find out more about the book here but just to say it’s a profound and wonderful book, packed with excellent Biblical insights and with anecdotes and thoughts from Jo’s own personal experiences of grief and loss - and HOPE.

I read it last year during Advent and found it very helpful.

Those who Wait by Tanya Marlowe

‘Everyone is waiting for something,’ says Tanya, and she wrote this for everyone in a season of waiting, stuck in a time of uncertainty, with their life permanently on pause. Which is now the situation the world finds itself in. You may be asking while you’re in this season, ‘where is God? Where is God in my disappointment and grief? Where is God in this uncertainty?’ Those Who Wait takes you through a journey to find God in a season just like this, by following through the lives of four other flawed believers in the Bible who lived in times of uncertainty. A four weeks devotional study, including questions for use by groups too.

Redeeming Advent by Lucy Rycroft Book and Kindle

Written for busy people! In a season of busyness, Lucy says that the busyness can be the key to a deeper connection with Christ! As we open our hearts and minds, perhaps we will discover that the Christmas story was busier, messier and more haphazard than we ever imagined. The book was born out of Lucy’s own experiences of struggling to maintain any kind of spiritual focus throughout December, as a busy mother of 4 and Vicar’s wife. You can buy it from her website here. While it’s an easy read, it’s also extremely helpful!

LOVE COME DOWN - from the Lindisfarne Scriptorium, by Mary Fleeson. A beautiful little book of prayers and poems for Advent, illustrated by Mary, for your ponderings and reflections. She writes, 'These poems and prayers were written in response to the season of Advent, the time we spend in preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Join with me as I ponder how to prepare my mind, body and spirit for the transforming gift of a precious baby boy who changed the world.'

This book is staple bound, A6 (10.5x14.8cm) and 20 pages. And currently on offer for just £2.45

Christmastide Prayers by Phyllis Tickle.

A contemporary ‘books of hours.’ The liturgy for this season of the church calendar (Bible readings, prayers, psalms, collects) is set out for each day in an easy-to-use format. If you’ve not tried this way of reading and praying before, this is a good way in, to give it a try! It goes from Advent through to Epiphany with the set liturgy for the different times of each day. This gives a glorious rhythm to each day as you pray three times a day plus an optional evening compline. Do try this - I love it.

An Advent Devotional by Vicki Cottingham

If you like a simple little book that is designed for you to journal in, this is for you. It’s based on the four candles of the Advent wreath - Faith, Hope, Joy and Love, with 24 daily readings. Each day includes scripture, a short thought, something to consider and space to journal any thoughts. If you’ve not done an Advent adventure before, or if you’re new to daily Bible reading, this could be a good way to begin! And see below for an Advent wreath with candles, too.

Jesus Calling for Christmas by Sarah Young.

A beautiful little gift book, with a softly textured cover, glorious photos, and Scripture verses, making 50 devotionals. They offer a moment of peace and reflection, and it’s such a beautiful book that I keep it on my coffee table throughout the Advent and Christmas season, to pick up and dip into to feed my soul with beauty.

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

The well -known author bases her Advent devotional on the Jesse Tree, the story of Jesus throughout the whole Bible. Unwrapping the story of this Great Gift in her own inimitable style. There are free downloadable ornaments to accompany the book, plus versions for children and families including a new pop-up book for little ones. . Find out more on her website. Instead of an Advent wreath, you could try a Jesse Tree with the daily readings and daily ornaments to add. A great family activity.

THe NIGHT BEFORE ADVENT and free downloadables for ADVENT here

THE CANDLES, THE WREATHS, AND THE CALENDARS

I love having an Advent wreath; we have one in church of course but I have one at home too. It gives a rhythm to the season and reminds us of the four themes of Faith, Hope, Joy and Love. You could tie this in with Vicki’s devotional above.

A Forever Flipover Advent Calendar with a carol for each day (the full words are on the back of each illustration) AND a Spotify list of the carols so you can sing along.

You can order your Carol Calendar here

I posted a daily thought for Advent on Social Media in 2021. Do like and follow my page to see what I posted each day throughout Advent.

Here’s one:

MUSIC

I’m already loving this Advent collection from Sacred Ordinary Days. Enjoy!

Advent Music

And this one from Jeff Johnson - worship songs on his album ‘Winter Songs’

What will you be doing to help you live ADVENTurously this year? Do let me know - I’m always thrilled to hear from you and love having new ideas too!

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If you purchase through these links, I earn a few pennies - thank you, thank you! It’s a bonus as I’m no longer in paid employment! But do order from your local independent bookseller or from Christian bookshops/online and support them.

The Advent Online Retreat ‘Revive, Restore, Reveal’ is available again

WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION AS YOU WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES? What are your disappointments & inadequacies? Can you know hope? Are you concerned about these uncertain times again and needing some certainty in your life right now?

Last year, I offered an online ADVENT retreat with the options of doing it 'live' or at a time to suit you. If you missed it last year, if you'd like to know more certainty, or do something special for ADVENT, why not do it this year, at a time and place to suit you (in your pjs & with the cat if you like!) There are 3 sections, of an hour each; you can do it all in one go, or one a week over Advent ... your choice.

It's on very special offer at £7.50 so why not treat yourself. You'll get the video, the preparation journal and the retreat journal. Two free gifts and further resources. At least £25 worth of materials! Just pop over here to get it:

www.penelopeswithinbank.com/orders

You’ll get the retreat journal sent as a link when you pay; and the Journal Part 1 and the video link will be emailed to you shortly afterwards.