Advent begins today. The four weeks of Advent are a time of preparation with a dual purpose. We prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, yes. We look forward to Christmas so much that we are sometimes surprised when our musicians and pastors keep us from singing our favorite carols in church. “Not yet,” they say, although we may sneak in a Christmas song as a prelude or an anthem. But it’s not time yet for all the Christmas hymns sung by the whole congregation and choir with full gusto. We are waiting, as if for the first time, for the birth of the King.
This is adapted from a free downloaded resource entitled, Advent: A Season for All Generations, available in both English and Spanish from Women of the ELCA.