Advent 2020. Yes, Please.
How do you enter the Advent season this year? Are you hopeful or are you struggling?
For me, Advent is a hopeful season, but 2020 has challenged and even changed me, my friends, and loved ones more than any other year. Today, my state enters into a two-week pause due to the pandemic. The fact that Rhode Island's pause coincides with the first day of Advent, is not for me to ignore.
What will you do this Advent season to exit more hopeful, then you were when you entered?
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
This verse from Isaiah, 9:2, represents 2020 to me and how we are walking in darkness presently, but God shows us the light, at Christmas. This year, I decided to make an Advent Bucket List to make a commitment to shining light in the dark places in this world. I have included a downloadable sheet for you below to print so that you can make your own Advent Bucket List to post in your home.
My Advent Bucket List 2020
- Make the Advent Blog special this year.
- At 4pm each day, I will join the online prayer group to pray for others. (Here is the link to the daily calendar, where you can scroll to find the 4pm prayer call if you would like to join us: https://marblechurch.org/calendar/)
- Spend less, but give more to those in need.
- Help my neighbors.
- Find ways to incorporate music into my daily practice.
- Take a daily walk in nature for exercise, prayer and reflection.
- Send Christmas Cards far and wide to lift the spirits of others.
- Write in my gratitude journal each day.
- Decorate for the holidays.
- Make and send my Christmas Bark to friends and family.
Here is the Advent Bucket List to download:
One last thing before I end today, I want to share a short UK video from 2013. Glen Scrivener's Christmas in Dark Places captures the spirit of the Advent season and the promise of Christmas, even when we are in a dark place. This year, we strive to make the Advent Blog multi-sensory, by including written and spoken word, along with music, videos, and audio to be more inclusive to the diverse followers around the world.
Shared by Marcie Doll, the curator of the Marble Women's Ministry Advent Blog