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Christianity Today, December (Web-only), 2008 |

Prepare the Way of the Lord

An Advent calendar.

Compiled by Susan Wunderink | posted 12/01/2008 10:12AM

Four Sundays before Christmas (November 30, this year), many Christians begin to celebrate Advent. In some traditions, the season is a fast; in others, the generally festive pre-Christmas spirit intrudes. ...

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Nancy Spartan

Posted: December 12, 2008 9:55 PM


I can only be in awe looking at the ultrasound photo. When I was pregnant, ultrasound was not perfected as it is now. I could only hear the heartbeat, but seeing the picture makes birth even more amazing. Think about how Mary and Elizabeth both felt. Thank you Lord.

Thos. B. Fowler

Posted: December 12, 2008 8:06 PM


Giants in God's green forests grow, Though we forget how this was able... Their veiny rooted feet beneath the snow, Like the seed brought forth in a stable. tbf

bloom2sb

Posted: December 12, 2008 9:21 AM


I am thankful for the reflections that point back to Christ, and to his word. In this season of preparation for Christmas lets keep it more simple and keep the focus on Jesus himself.

pamb	Posted: December 11, 2008 10:28 AM


Day 11. Beautiful. Moving. Thank you!

Debbie Wood

Posted: December 09, 2008 5:03 PM


I loved seeing the Messiah page after watching a performance just a couple of days ago. Does anyone know where this page is, phsyically, and if the original score is somewhere in a museum on view?

MerryKate

Posted: December 09, 2008 12:50 AM


Thank you for the beatiful words, and especially the beautiful images anticipating the coming of Christ. Reading the Chesterton poem gave me the first sense of Christmas this year...what a wonderful reminder of what this season is all about.

Chris Moyler

Posted: December 06, 2008 5:32 AM

Dear CT, I would like to express my particular thanks to you all, for putting together this advent calendar. Here in the UK, it has become almost impossible to get an advent calendar that brings us back to worship for God's great gift. A good advent calendar will have lots of rich scripture, or relevant poetry and hymns, which give us something meaningful to ponder on and worship. Yours is doing that very well.The pictures are beautiful, without being horribly twee! I was very struck by Mary and Gabriel, but today I am less sure about Elizabeth and Mary. They both looked troubled. Surely Elizabeth was filled with wonder wasn't she? She didn't really have so much to fear that she should appear troubled. Mary DID have plenty to fear, and this time with Mary would have been an essential time of prearation for Mary, under Elizabeth's loving care. Mary can look troubled, but should never look old, as she does here. Thank you very much for this gift to us all. Chris Moyler UK

Cathy

Posted: December 04, 2008 3:14 PM


This is a lovely Advent calendar. Thank you! I wish I could receive jsut this calendar each day as an email. Will it be available at the end of Advent as a compete "set?"

Karen

Posted: December 03, 2008 10:29 PM


Was so pleased to see Day 2 Advent devotional by Sawai Chinnawong. He's my neighbor here in Thailand. He's a wonderful Christian artist who has used Thai cultural motifs in various artwork with a Gospel message.

Sharon Somerville

Posted: December 03, 2008 7:30 PM


Thank you, Julie. What a blessing!

RxBach

Posted: December 03, 2008 4:42 PM

Excellent art work and accompanying thoughts that bring us to think of what we should be pondering at this time of year. One little thing: Dec. 3 is the FOURTH day of Advent, not the third. Re: the first to posters: 1Reader2U and Ephrem Hagos must have a very hard time living as Christians in the 21st century. Have neither of you learned to evaluate things based on biblical PRINCIPLES. To be human is create traditions. And as long as those Christian traditions breath the Spirit of the Bible, they're in line with what God wants of us and how he expected us to live. God created history, and how it unfolds, and gave us minds to develop his creation -- and the various expressions of his church on earth. Unless you worship exactly like the early church did -- and you don't, because nobody knows HOW they worshipped -- you, and all of us, are making up things outside the Bible.

M.L.G.

Posted: December 02, 2008 12:53 PM


Thank you for making Advent more worshipful and real for me.

to those guys

Posted: December 02, 2008 8:37 AM

You have got to be kidding me with these comments?! Ephrem, take a breath with all those academic words. 1Reader, just because you don't celebrate it, and just because it isn't in the Bible, doesn't make it wrong. Advent is a time of expectation of our God to come and rescue His bride. Are you really complaining if Christians, your brothers and sisters, are eagerly awaiting Christ's return? There are plenty of things that are not in the Bible that I am sure you follow (i.e., not smoking marijuana). This should be a time of rejoicing over churches around the world that are focused on the coming of our King, the restoration of all things under His reign, as well as His first coming in humility to save His sheep. Let's all unite under the banner of Christ's love, His peace, His coming. That's what this is about...not about your opinion or your non-traditions. Grace and Peace to you...

Shake`

Posted: December 02, 2008 2:57 AM

I am happy for the idea of having a verse and a thought moment each day especially when our lives are so hectic. For pastor Bill, I share your dissappointment in the extremely individualitic theology, however anger and bitterness have never solved anything, thus I am praying that in your endeavor to reach your congregation to better understand the true meaning of Advent, what better way then start praying for each with love and share with them what God is teaching you each day of this month and how you are being prepared to celebrate the Saviors coming. A live example of your preparation counts for more than 1000 sermons.

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: December 02, 2008 2:21 AM

The year-round Church Calender beginning with, the highly restricted First Advent (Christmas) is an instrument of clever deception diverting attention from the one, unending and Final Advent of sustained, firsthand and personal revelation of the LORD at His diacritical death on the cross. Although the latter is, in fact, the fulfillment of the "new covenant" (Jer. 31: 31-34; Matt. 26: 26-29 ff), it is tragic that it is completely out of currency in the so-called church today!!!

MikeyK

Posted: December 01, 2008 8:31 PM

1Reader2U, if you don't celebrate Advent, why are you even bothering to click on an article about an Advent calendar? As one of those who do choose to recognize this period of time as a remembrance of the birth of Christ, let me deign to speak for many others when I say that your comment is better suited to an article that argues for your opinion, rather than this article. If you don't want to look at an Advent calendar because you don't "believe in" Advent, then don't.

Grove

Posted: December 01, 2008 7:06 PM


Good to see the Advent back again this year, it always takes me back years to when I was a child. Those days to the 25th just wouldn't go fast enough! Our Thought on the Christmas season is here ... http://www.grovebaptist.co.uk/thought_for_month.htm (see Dec 2008 and also Dec 2007)

bill	Posted: December 01, 2008 4:33 PM

"1 Reader 2u" makes my point. Advent is an absurdity like most Evangelicalism. Everything is optional. As in the movie "Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom", it's "Anything goes". As an Evangelical pastor of many years I had to tolerate chaotic individualism. Everyone believed as he "felt" the Bible said "to him/her". I am waiting for the honesty of Evangelicals to admit that. Rome (RC) created millions of orphans when it forced out the Reformers. As a pastor I tried to teach that Advent was a period of preparation- like Lent- for Christmas, but the people insisted on carols a month before Christmas. I was not in a position to teach them anything. They knew it all. After all they were Evangelicals. Who cares what the earliest Christians taught? "Anything goes".

1Reader2U

Posted: December 01, 2008 4:02 PM


I think before one says "all Christians" in an article, they should be sure to talk to all Christians. This disciple doesn't celebrate Advent at all--it's a tradition made up by men. And Jesus Christ was not born December 25th. I don't begrudge anyone having traditions, but they certainly have nothing to do with actual biblical facts.

Maggie

Posted: December 01, 2008 3:43 PM


I agree with Carolyn - I'd love to get a daily link to this feature. It's a great resource for individuals as well as those who plan worship. Thanks, CT!

Carolyn

Posted: December 01, 2008 3:34 PM


It would be nice if a person could sign up for a list serve to get a link to just this each day.

anonymous

Posted: December 01, 2008 11:58 AM


Thank you! I am always looking for help to stop and think about what Christ's advent means. When the series is put together, it would make a lovely book.

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