Advent and Christmas services
Devotional Resources for AdventAdvent invites us to reflect on not one but three comings of Christ: The coming of Jesus in his birth long ago, the second coming of Jesus Christ in glory to judge the heavens and the earth, and - in between - the daily arrival of Christ to us in Word, Sacrament, service, and the stillness of our hearts.
Here are a few options for deepening your Advent preparation. Several of these come from this site, which has more:
Given the constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic, Advent & Christmas 2020 at Trinity Episcopal Church were observed virtually with additional opportunities to receive Holy Communion in small groups of no more than three members at any given time. |
Thoughts on the seasonThoughts on the Season
“Advent is the perfect time to clear and prepare the Way. Advent is a winter training camp for those who desire peace. By reflection and prayer, by reading and meditation, we can make our hearts a place where a blessing of peace would desire to abide and where the birth of the Prince of Peace might take place. Daily we can make an Advent examination. Are there any feelings of discrimination toward race, sex, or religion? Is there a lingering resentment, an unforgiven injury living in our hearts? Do we look down upon others of lesser social standing or educational achievement? Are we generous with the gifts that have been given to us, seeing ourselves as their stewards and not their owners? Are we reverent of others, their ideas and needs, and of creation? These and other questions become Advent lights by which we may search the deep, dark corners of our hearts.” — Edward Hays “Luke’s Gospel account of the Christmas event is full of activity…And yet, in the middle of the frenetic action, here is this woman wrapped in mystical silence…She demonstrates the necessity of a quiet place within ourselves at Christmastime—that place where we are most ourselves in relation to God. It is a place of silence, not because it is untouched by all the activity of our lives, but because it is capable of wonder. Every prayer begins with silent wonder before it turns to words. Our first response to God is dumbstruck awe at who he is and what he has done for us.” — William Frebuger “The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it.” — Frederick Beuchner “The twelve days of Christmas come to an end on January 6, and the season of the Epiphany begins. But Epiphany not only ends Christmas, it also fulfills it by celebrating the revelation of the Christ to the whole world. The coming of Incarnate God to all people, especially to those of us who are Gentiles, is the bridge from birth into life, the event that makes Easter possible for most of us. The light of the Epiphany illuminates the church’s year as it illuminates the human race from whom the kings came.” —Phyllis Tickle |
