YOUR ADVENT JOURNEY This devotional is a tool for you and your family to help keep this Christmas season centered on Christ by observing an ancient Christian tradition called Advent. We ll help explain Advent in the pages to come. Some of the things in this book will work well for your family and some won t. That s okay. Use what works and move past what you need to. So instead of this being a rigid daily requirement for your family, let this be a guide to help navigate you through this wonderful time of the year as we celebrate the coming (both past and future) of Christ. THE ADVENT WREATH AND CANDLES Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and runs through Christmas day. On each Sunday of Advent a candle is lit that symbolizes a different aspect of the Christmas story. This has been done for many years and in many different ways. Some churches have different colored candles and they represent different things. For the sake of this booklet we ll be going with three purple or blue candles, one pink candle and a white candle. This is often done with a wreath that has the four colored candles around it and the white candle in the middle. Each Sunday you ll light a candle at the beginning of your family devotions and then put it out at the end. On the next Sunday you ll light the previously lit candle and then the next candle. They break down this way: Sunday, December 2 nd Light the 1 st purple or blue candle. This is the Hope candle. Sunday, December 9 th Light the previous candle and the 2 nd purple or blue candle. This is the Peace candle. Sunday, December 16 th Light the previous candles and then light the pink candle. This is the Joy candle. Sunday, December 23 rd Light the previous candles and the last purple or blue candle. This is the Love Candle. Tuesday, December 25 th Light the previous candles and then light the white candle. This is the Christ candle. You can get these candles at Lifeway in Hoover across from the Galleria or at Cokesbury in Vestavia. Cokesbury has a better selection but we ve found them at both. However, don t feel that you need to go out and purchase a nice wreath and candles. Feel free to make a wreath out of something you have at home and you can buy candles wherever you d like and can use regular candle holders. There is no requirement for this to be done in a particular way. The idea is to allow the symbolism of the candle to point our thoughts towards Christ.
FAMILY Now, this is a book for families, but not necessarily brothers and sisters, moms and dads, aunts and uncles. Instead this is for the family of God. One of the beauties of being a Christian is that as a Christian you are now a child of God. Romans 8:15b-16 says, You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (ESV). So regardless of what physical family you have around you this Christmas, you are sharing this Advent journey with your spiritual family within SMIC and all over the world, of which God is the Father. So we would encourage you to share this journey through Advent with your spiritual family, physical or not. If you know of someone who is single or alone, invite them to share this journey with you. Our hope is that you experience the joy and hope of Advent with the family of God. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK For each of the four weeks of Advent you ll get a week long family guide that will walk you through the story of God s greatest gift. You ll receive them in the bulletin each Sunday and they will also be available at the Welcome Center. You can also download a copy from our website www.smic.org. If you miss a Sunday, that s a great way to keep up with what we re doing. We will also be sending out a daily version by e-mail if you would like to receive it that way. To get this guide by e-mail simply complete the form in the bulletin or contact Sarah Timothy at 978-9128 or sarahtimothy@smic.org. SUNDAY DEVOTIONS Each week will follow a similar format. Sunday you will have an extended devotional to do with your family that will include the lighting of the Advent candle, a devotional to read to your family, scripture, songs to sing as well a time of prayer together. This would be the perfect thing to do with your family or small group. Feel free to invite others to join you on this night. WEEKLY DEVOTIONS Monday through Friday will be a shorter devotional that will have scripture to read, questions to discuss and a way for your family to pray. You could do this over a meal at home, at bedtime or even in the car if your day is a busy one. The goal of these devotionals is to stop the busyness for a moment and reflect on the heart of this Advent season. SATURDAY ACTIVITIES On Saturday we ve provided a list a fun, family activities to do together that will help your kids experience some of the truths we ve talked about during the week in a fun and engaging way. Feel free to do them whenever you like, they don t have to happen just on Saturday, and do as
many or as few as you wish. The goal in this is to help your kids see how Christ is central to all that we do this year. While we give and receive gifts, we remember how Christ was the greatest gift. When we look at the bright Christmas lights, we think of how Christ is the light of the world, and so on. Now before you feel overwhelmed, I m just going to go ahead and let you know that it s okay to miss a few days. Life gets busy and making your life even busier is not the goal of this book. So take a breath. You re off the hook. AN ADVENT YOU WON T FORGET I pray that this Advent season is one that you won t forget, one filled with memories and stories to share in the coming years. But most of all our prayer is, that in midst of the busiest time of the year with all its parties, decorations and gifts, that you will spend time with your family and reflect on the greatest gift of all.
SUNDAY READ WEEK TWO: PEACE Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying: "Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God." - Luke 2:13-14 [Light the previous candle and then the Peace candle] READ One of the promises of the coming Christ was a promise of peace. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6 In the Old Testament God s people were always offering sacrifices to make themselves right with God. A lamb would be slain, God would see the blood shed for their sins and then forgive them. They would be made right with God and have peace with Him. But it never lasted. Before too long they had sinned again and they were back at the temple offering another sacrifice. Their peace with God was temporary. But what Christ brought was this final sacrifice for men that would bring forgiveness of sin and permanent peace with God. Peace that would never go away. SING or say the words to the third verse of Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King!" READ Close your eyes. Now, think of a tiny newborn baby. Imagine that he s crying as loud as he can. Tears are streaming down his face and you can barely stand the sound. Now imagine the baby stops crying. You breathe a sigh of relief. Now it seems like the baby is at peace. But now imagine that the same baby is wrapped in a soft blanket and being lovingly held in the arms of his mother as she gives him a warm bottle of milk. The baby quietly coos and gulps down the milk with his eyes closed and the faintest smile on his face. DISCUSS Which one sounds more like peace to you: the baby that s not crying, or the baby that isn t only not crying but is being held and fed by his caring mother? What is the difference between these two mental pictures? Which one is more like the peace God gives us? READ That s the kind of peace that the angels were talking about. They weren t just talking about a peace without conflict, but more than that, we will be made right with God, share in all of the blessings that He gives and have permanent peace with God... Peace with God because of Christ and our faith in him. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:1 And what a wonderful peace it is. Look at how great God s peace really is: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:7 We have the peace of God that goes beyond anything we can understand. A peace in the midst of sadness and loss that comforts us in a way this world can t understand. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. - John 14:27 PRAY
Spend some time thanking God for the peace that He brings. Maybe even mention a time in the past that He has given you peace. Pray that in this coming year that you as a family will be filled with peace, even when you face hard times. SING or say the words to Silent Night Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace [Blow out the candles]
MONDAY Jesus still cleans up dirty temples! John 2:12-22. This passage has a lot to say about why Jesus came to earth. You will want to help your family understand the two important themes here, and the hidden theme we now understand. People would offer sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem. This was to help them understand that when Jesus would die on the cross, His would be the final sacrifice (see Hebrews 9:12). The Temple was a special house for God. Yet people were so busy selling animals for the sacrifices that they forgot what the sacrifice was all about. Because people came to the Temple from many places, money-changers had set up their little banks to serve people who needed to exchange their money for coins they could use for the Temple offerings. The Temple had become more of a shopping center than a place to worship God. This made Jesus angry and He demanded that the Temple be clean from all of this. Just as Jesus came to the Temple to make it clean, He came to earth to make us clean. Because God lives in us, we are now God s Temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). At Christmas we celebrate God coming to earth as a man to live and die for us to make us clean from our sin. As we submit to God the Holy Spirit cleans up the dirt and sin in our lives and replaces it with things that make us like Jesus (Galatians 5:22-23). Lead your family in a time of prayer to confess things in your lives that God needs to clean up as you submit to Him. TUESDAY Everybody is important to God. Read Luke 2:8-15. Think through all of the emotions these shepherds must have experienced as all of this happened. How would you have felt about this? Of all people to hear the announcement of Jesus birth, God chose common, everyday, simple shepherds to get the news. Because a shepherd looks after his sheep, Jesus is sometimes called a shepherd because he looks after us. (In fact, did you know that the word pastor comes from the same word as pasture? Pastors look after people like shepherds look after sheep, and like Jesus looks after us. Wow!) Every town has a section where the rich people live. There s nothing wrong with having a lot of money if you earn it honestly. Some people are only interested in knowing people like that. But God cares about everybody. Jesus came to save rich and poor people. In what ways can your family show love to people who, like the shepherds, don t have a lot of money? Have your family pray that God will give you a heart for people like God s heart.
WEDNESDAY Telling the good news Read Luke 2:16-20. The shepherds were grateful for what they had seen and heard. Everybody in town knows it s Christmas. But does everybody know Christ? Ask each family member in what ways you respond to Christmas like the shepherds did. Have a family praise service, thinking of all the ways you can praise God for sending Jesus to take our sins and make us a part of His family. THURSDAY Wise men still seek Him. Read today Matthew 2:1-12. Talk about the events that happened, discuss why Herod was so upset and how God guided and protected the wise men (Magi). These men came a long way to worship a King. If you have a manger scene at your home, place it in the middle of your family. Encourage each member of your family to get on your knees and sing songs of praise to Christ. Remind your children you are not worshiping a toy figure, but the God it represents. These men brought gifts. What can each member of your family give to God in an act of worship and thanksgiving? FRIDAY God s gift of love. Read John 3:16. Write each phrase of this verse on a piece of paper. Discuss what each phrase means and what it means for you. Allow each member of your family to share your thoughts. Have your family memorize this verse as a group: Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:9 Discuss ways your family can show more love to each other like God showed His love to us. Then discuss ways you can show love to other people, especially to people who can do nothing in return.
SATURDAY ACTIVITIES Have your family make ornaments and put an attribute of God on each one. Hang the ornaments on your Christmas tree so that your tree can remind you and others of who God truly is. Discuss with your family a way you can do something special for someone you know who needs to be shown love. But here s the fun part: do it in such a way that they won t know who showed them love. Perhaps you could leave a bag of groceries on someone s door step, order and pay for a pizza to be delivered to a poor college student, rake a family s yard while they are away, or when you visit someone s home you could wrap an unsigned gift and leave it under their tree. Use this as a way to help your kids understand the joy of gift giving and learn that a true gift expects nothing in return. Start a tradition with your family by choosing a container such as a jar or special box. Each time in the coming year you see God or someone else show love to your family in a special way, write down what happened on a slip of paper and put it in the container. Then during Advent next year (or sooner if you can t wait) pull out all the slips of paper and read through them with your family. You ll be surprised at how many blessings will be in that container and how many blessings you may have missed in previous years when you weren t looking for them. Find a missionary family that is serving overseas and send them a care package. If they have kids you could send them candy or itunes gift cards. Write a letter or prayer for them and put that in the box too. You could even go down the hallway of the church and find a family that s displayed in our Hall of Missionaries and pick one out. Most of their pictures will have ways to reach them but if you need help getting a mailing address let us know and we ll get it for you. You can e-mail Jonathan Owen at jonathanowen@smic.org.