Christmas is on the horizon. And although my church does not formally celebrate Advent, my family does."The name Advent (From the Latin word Adventus, which signifies a coming) is applied, in the Latin Church, to that period of the year, during which the Church requires the faithful to prepare for the celebration of the feast of Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. The mystery of that great day had every right to the honour of being prepared for by prayer and works of penance..." (History of Advent)
I find Christmas much more meaningful if instead of simply focusing on the hustle and bustle of Christmas' more materialistic preparations, I focus my heart and mind on the Christ child. He needs be the center of the season. My heart's cry is as the hymn... O Come, O Come Emmanuel! Come Jesus!
I recognize that my heart is not truly prepared... I am not correct in my thinking and in my heart, and so this prayer echos my heart's cry:
"Faithful God, we rejoice that you have sent your promised Christ. And yet, O God, we confess that we are still not ready for Christ's coming; we are reluctant to live as if the whole earth were your domain. We know the story—the shepherds, the angels, the magi—but we don't fully understand what it means. Awaken us to your Spirit, let Christ's birth make a difference in our lives, and grant us your peace, through the grace of Jesus Christ."
(Ruth C. Duck in The Westminster Collection of Christian Prayers)
As I have searched online for the right resource for our family devotions I found many... and I thought I would share some of what I found,in hopes that you would find something that would be a blessing for you this season. First, I want to tell you of a book.. it is not free online but very worthwhile... Jonathan's Journey which has finally been re-released. This is a wonderful and fun way to build anticipation for the coming Christ season with your children. But if are looking for a free online resource there are many options. You can make a Jesse Tree and do a daily devotion. If you are doing a lighting of the Advent Wreath with your family you can find devotions here starting with today's devotion. Or you can do daily readings. You can also visit this online advent calendar, here, and another one with readings and activities here.
I hope that in this list you find something that will work for you and your family. I know that as for my family, we want Christmas to be something more than in this sad description: "CHRISTMAS has really become a hopeless muddle of confusion. The humility and the poverty of the stable are somehow confused with the wealth and indulgence and selfishness of gift giving. The quietness of Bethlehem is mingled with the din of shopping malls and freeway traffic. The soberness of the Incarnation is somehow mixed with the drunkenness of this season. Blinking colored lights somehow have some connection to the star of Bethlehem." (John F. MacArthur Jr., "The Incarnation of the Triune God")
For this is a glorious season. Let us fix our eyes upon the Christ Child. Let us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord, the coming of our bridegroom.
Matthew 25:1-13
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
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