Advent Devotions 2022
Welcome to the Season!
We are entering a season of the church called Advent. The word advent means “arrival”. The season of Advent is the 4 weeks before Christmas Day when we prepare to celebrate that Jesus arrived as a baby many years ago.
The birth of Jesus completely changed the world and is such an important day to celebrate that many years ago the church decided we should take 4 weeks to think about and celebrate this day.
Many people spend Advent reading devotions, spending time in prayer, and being with family. It is an incredible time, waiting for something spectacular. The birth of a small baby... a baby who would change the entire world.
Does your family do anything special during Advent? Traditions, prayers, or preparations? Spend this Advent reflecting on your traditions and enjoying the season together with the people you love, at home and with your church family.
Spend your Advent in service to God. What ways can you serve God, and do GOOD in the world... in our community? Include the children and youth in your lives. Show them the way! Together we can make a difference and live the way God has planned for us!
Try to spend some time together around the dinner table discussing or reflecting on the season, and the specific topic for the week.
FAMILIES:
Choose some Advent activities to do together that you can find at the end of the Advent packet, or come up with your own. Spend some family time together.
Advent is one of the busiest times on the calendar, so it’s important to carve out some time to be together. Just being together, praying, reading scripture, and sharing activities.
Read the Scripture together. If you have a children’s Bible or a study Bible with notes, you can read that with your kids and youth. Some of the notes are interesting to read along with the Scripture.
Magnificent Light
Advent Week 1: November 27 - December 3, 2022
The prophet Isaiah brings a message of hope more than 500 years before the birth of Jesus. God promises, through the words of the prophets, that we will emerge from a land of deep darkness, and enter into a new world filled with the light. They tell us that all of this will happen when a child is born, a child whose kingdom will usher in endless peace eternally.
Scripture for the week:
Sunday: Genesis 1:1-4
Monday: Isaiah 40:1-5
Tuesday: Isaiah 2:1-5
Wednesday: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Thursday: Isaiah 11:1-10
Friday: Micah 5:2-5a
Saturday: John 1:1-5
Prayer:
Magnificent God of light, the darkness of this world is closing, and the dawn is rising. Your everlasting love is constantly at work. Awaken our hearts and spirits. We are watching. We are listening. We wait for you. Wake us up to see the signs of your coming glory. Amen.
Dinnertime Discussion or Reflection:
Discuss or reflect yourself one night during the week around the table what light represents in life. What are the kinds of light... what is the light in YOUR life? Answer that question together.
Mary and Joseph and an Angel
Advent Week 2: December 4 - December 10, 2022
Mary was just a young girl, and yet she was entrusted with so much. After a surprise visit from an Angel, her life was forever changed. Together with Joseph she embarked on a long journey to Bethlehem.
She was pregnant, tired, and wondering what God was preparing for her. Yet she kept moving forward, trusting in God and the Angel’s words.
Joseph’s world was turned upside down when Mary shared her story with him. He too walked this road with Mary with love and care. This must have taken great faith and trust in God’s plan.
Scripture for the week:
Sunday: Isaiah 7:10-14
Monday: Luke 1:5-25
Tuesday: Luke 1:26-38
Wednesday: Matthew 1:18-23
Thursday: Luke 1:39-45
Friday: Luke 1:46-56
Saturday: Luke 2:1-5
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you have a plan for our lives, calling us out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary. Like Mary and Joseph, may we hear you when you call. Amen.
Dinnertime Discussion or Reflection:
Discuss or reflect yourself one night during the week around the table about a time you were called on or asked to do something you were afraid to do. Or something that you were nervous about. how did you feel? Did you plunge forward and do it? or did it take some time for you to get the courage up? What must Mary and Joseph felt when they were thrown into this situation without really knowing completely what to expect?
Can you imagine being the parents to baby Jesus???
The Shepherds Who Tended Their Flocks
Advent Week 3: December 11 - December 17, 2022
Hard working people called shepherds who spent their lives in the hills outside of the towns and villages dedicated their lives to caring for the safety and well-being of their flocks of sheep.
Shepherds in ancient Israel lived mundane, dirty, and maybe even a little frightening lives. They were out in the wilderness, away from town, and the only light at night comes from the fire for warmth, and the moon hanging above. They had to keep track of the sheep, and also protect them from attack.
Scripture is filled with stories of shepherds and the sheep they tended to. God is frequently known as the good shepherd, and God’s flock, all of us, are loved and cared for above all else.
Scripture for the week:
Sunday: Psalm 23
Monday: Luke 2:8-11
Tuesday: Luke 2:12-14
Wednesday: Luke 2:15
Thursday: John 10:1-10
Friday: John 10:11-15
Saturday: Isaiah 40:10-11
Prayer:
God who sent the angels to the shepherds, in the presence of your glory may we not be afraid, but go with courage to see all that you show us today. We sing with the angels, O God. Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors. Amen.
Dinnertime Discussion or Reflection:
Spend the week asking each other a few of these questions each night. EVEN adults! You don’t need to have kids in your house to chat about all kinds of things! Adults, you can even go way further into details. Families, make sure you give everyone a chance to answer!
Conversation Questions!
1. What makes you happy?
2. What makes you laugh?
3. What is your favorite food?
4. What is the funniest face you can make?
5. If you could be an animal for one day, what animal would you be?
6. What is your favorite thing to do?
7. Who is your best friend? Why?
8. What are you really good at?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. Which story that grandma or grandpa tells is your favorite?
11. What is your favorite Bible story? What do you like about it?
12. What is something you are especially thankful to Jesus for right now?
13. If your pets and/or stuffed animals could talk, what would they say?
14. What is your favorite book?
15. If you had a genie that could grant 3 wishes, what would you wish for?
16. What would you do if you swapped roles with Mom or Dad?
17. If you wrote a book, what would it be about? Who would the characters be?
18. What did you do to help someone else today?
19. What are some of your favorite things that God created in nature?
20. How did you see someone showing kindness to another person today?
21. What do you think heaven is like?
22. What is the most special thing about Christmas for you?
The Magi
Advent Week 4: December 18 - December 23, 2022
The Magi, also known as the wise men, had the longest journey of all to get to Bethlehem. They came from the East, probably all the way from Persia, and travelled for months before they could kneel at the feet of Baby Jesus and offer him their precious gifts.
Light overcoming the darkness is repeated this week, as a bright star serves as the guiding light for the Magi. Once the star stopped over the place where Jesus was to be found, the Magi presented precious gifts to Mary and Joseph that would give honor to a king as well as sustain this new family in the very challenging years ahead.
Scripture for the week:
Sunday: Isaiah 60:1-3
Monday: Matthew 2:1-6
Tuesday: Matthew 2:7-10
Wednesday: Psalm 72:1-14
Thursday: Psalm 96
Friday: Baruch 4:36
Prayer:
God who sent the angels to the shepherds, in the presence of your glory may we not be afraid, but go with courage to see all that you show us today. We sing with the angels, O God. Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors. Amen.
Dinnertime Discussion or Reflection:
Reflect and discuss at dinnertime this week on the answers to some of these questions from throughout our Advent journey.
You may even want to spend some alone time during the week, in awe and wonder, quietly contemplate the answers that you discover. Allow these questions to continue throughout the day and evening!
Discussion & Reflection Questions:
• I wonder how the prophets knew that they had heard God’s voice?
• I wonder who the prophets are who hear God’s voice today?
• I wonder how Mary and Joseph felt when they heard that the prophets words would be coming true in their lives?
• I wonder what the shepherds were feeling as the sky exploded with the voices of angels praising God?
• I wonder what the Magi said to each other as they travelled for weeks following a star?
• I wonder what each of these people were feeling as they travelled to Bethlehem?
• I wonder what each felt as they gazed on Jesus and worshipped him?
December 24th Christmas Eve!
Jesus was born in less than ideal circumstances. We see all around us Christmas cards that have scenes of the stable, and it’s filled with beautiful animals. Mary and Joseph are always looking lovingly into a manger, where the baby Jesus is lying, and they all look so cozy.
While many depictions of this scene are warm, sweet, and content-looking, the birth of Jesus was far from a rosy experience. Jesus’ parents were forced to travel to Bethlehem for a Roman census, and Mary and Joseph found no comfortable place to stay. The city was overrun with people, and extra chaotic, So Mary ended up having to give birth in a cold, dirty stable, and used the animals’ feedbox for Jesus’ crib. What an ironic situation - no room was available here for the Savior who came to prepare a place for us in heaven. It seems ridiculous and absurd!
As you wait for Baby Jesus to be born this Christmas Eve night, think about what it was like in that stable, with Mary and Joseph. Scared and uncomfortable, but also grateful to have any shelter at all. They were going through so much in those hours, and despite all of this... maybe they really DID feel cozy and joyful in that stable, amongst the animals, together as they looked down at the brand new baby, lying in a manger.
Christmas Eve Scripture:
Luke 2:6.
Isaiah 7:14
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day and the many blessings You've given us. Grant us a restful night of sleep as we await the celebration of the birth of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
December 25th Christmas!
Whatever gifts we give each other, none of them will come anywhere close to the gift that God gave us on the first Christmas Day years ago in that stable in Bethlehem... the gift of His Son, Jesus. It’s a gift too wonderful for words.
God’s gift to us is the most costly gift ever, and yet is too priceless to try to pinpoint an actual monetary value. It’s the gift not only of the birth but also of the death of His Son, our Lord Jesus. It’s a gift that we don’t own, because we belong to Him, and we can’t keep this gift for ourselves. Most important, Jesus is the gift that each one of us needs so very desperately. Without Him there is no hope, no life, and no future.
God’s gift to us on that first Christmas calls us to celebrate and worship. Make sure to come and worship Christ the Lord NOW. There is no need to bring Him gifts like the Magi did... JUST bring yourself. Accept God’s gift and receive him as your Lord and Savior. You can even invite someone who does not know about this gift to come with you. And as you celebrate, give your thanks to God for this wondrous gift and His love. Hug your family and be joyous today! For unto us a child is born! Halleluiah!
Christmas Scripture:
2 Corinthians 9:15
Luke 2:1-20
Isaiah 9:6
Prayer:
God our Father in heaven, thank You for Your gift that is too wonderful for words. Help us to accept Your gift and to share it to the world. To You be all glory. In Jesus' blessed name, Amen.
Family Time!
Create Wrapping Paper: First, using blue and purple (the liturgical colors of Advent), create wrapping paper with symbols of the Advent season. Advent symbols could include the Jesse Tree, Advent wreath, Advent candles, Advent calendar, Mary and Joseph, Mary’s donkey, the star over Bethlehem, the Magi, the Magi’s camels, the angel Gabriel who visits Mary. Then, wrap gifts with your artistic creation.
Make a Kindness Advent Calendar: Cut 6 pieces of construction paper into 22 strips, each strip measuring 2.25′′ x 12′′. (This is a piece of construction paper cut in fourths along the long edge.) Write on each strip a kind act. Brainstorm ideas together, and try to make as many of them something that is actually possible for you to do as a family. Once all 22 strips have an act of kindness written upon it, tape them to a measuring stick, all the way across. Each day of Advent, tear off one strip and read it together. Later, after you’ve done what was on the paper, discuss it together what it was like to DO the kindness, how it felt, and how it was to do it together. GO TEAM FAMILY!
Reading Storybooks of the Christmas Story, Jesus’ Birth: Select several different storybooks about Baby Jesus’ birth, read them over a couple days. On another day, have your kids draw their version of the story in their own words/pictures.
Bake Together: Pick something you can bake together so that you can spend some time doing something fun, and then sample it! make some fun traditions to share each year!
Talk About Traditions to the Kids from When You Were Little: Tell the kids all kinds of stories about growing up during advent and Christmas. BONUS: when you can tell multiple generational stories from the family. Traditions and stories the kids and youth will have to pass on later!
Make Christmas Cards Together: Draw your own or use the template enclosed to make cards to pass out to family, friends, or your church family. Consider making some to pass out to a neighbor who is alone, or even a nursing home. Spreading God’s love and making someone feel wonderful is for sure a blessing.
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