Advent-Urous

It’s that time of the year again – Advent, the season leading up to the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It is also the end of the year for us Australians and I’m tired…
I have to tell you the truth – I’m not really a fan of the way Christmas is now celebrated. Rushing around the Black Friday sales (thanks America for that tradition!) to buy gifts that no-one really needs. Working out who is going where for Christmas lunch – is Aunt Gladys talking to Uncle Arthur or do we need to do two lunches? Putting up myriads of decorations we can’t really afford that will gather dust until they are taken down a few weeks later.
Don’t get me wrong – I am not a grinch, I enjoy the parties, the food, putting up the tree but in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, the commercialism, I hanker after time to meditate on what we are celebrating at Christmas.
I find it interesting that God doesn’t tell us to celebrate Christmas, to remind ourselves of Christ’s birth as we do when we celebrate communion to remember his death and resurrection. We have created this thing called Christmas (well actually it was the Romans way back in the 4th century) and over time it has become what it is today but that doesn’t make it all bad. It is also an opportunity to spend time with God thanking him that he sent his only Son to us:
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Over the next 24 days (December 1st to 24th – the season of Advent in many churches) I want to take us back to what Christmas started out to celebrate –the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.
Will you come with me on this journey as each day we take a look at a different passage from the Bible that focuses on this world-changing event, the birth of God’s Son, Jesus. As usual there will be something to read and ponder over, something to pray, and an action to take away which will hopefully help you to have a more Christ-focused Christmas.