Advent is a Christian season practiced during the four weeks leading up to Christmas and helps us commemorate the first coming of Christ while also anticipating his return. Rediscovering the practice of Advent can help us shake off the commercialization of Christmas and reclaim this season for worship again, for genuine gift-giving, and especially, for fixing our faith on the radical hope of Christ.
Our Advent season this year will be marked by three practices:
Four Advent Sunday Gatherings
We’ll begin with the first of four gatherings starting on Sunday, November 29th. These will be short worship gatherings (about an hour) in each others homes that will involve everyone and focused on drawing our attention toward Christ and his coming. We’ll have scripture readings, songs, and prayer together. The dates and locations are:
- 11/29 – Coker Home, Oceanside, 6:30PM
- 12/6 – Kipley Home, Carlsbad, 6:30PM
- 12/13 – Verner Home, San Marcos, 6:30PM
- 12/20 – Lawson Home, Carlsbad, 6:30PM
Feel free to invite friends to join us! Kids are welcome and will be included. I’ll be sending instructions for the host homes later this week.
Daily Advent Readings
Beginning on December 1st and ending on December 24th, there will be a short passage of scripture available to read every day. Doing this as an individual or a family will help mark the time leading up to Christmas allow our Christmas imaginations to be formed by the story of Christ. For those who want to participate, passages will be posted every day here at the site. You can visit the site daily, subscribe the the RSS feed (top right) or the email feed (lower left, right hand column).
Advent Calendar Project
In our house we’ll be making an Advent Calendar to physically mark the season with our family. Advent Calendars begin on December 1st and end on Dec 24th and make great craft projects for kids and adults, and traditionally contain a small daily gift of some kind (usually candy). Ours will contain a shorter version of the daily passage that we can share with our kids (and probably some chocolate!). Click the link below for some Advent Calendar craft ideas (or, share your own with us in the comments!):
Click here to see Advent Calendar craft projects
Sounds great. Looking forward to it.
This is the first year we’re going to try doing an online advent calendar too. Is there some sort of “flow” to how advent works?
How are you guys choosing which scriptures to use when?
I’m wanting to use images, music, poems etc but just don’t know if there’s some sort logic of when to use what.
Any ideas are appreciated.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Laura! I’m off the Thanksgiving with family out of town today, but I’ll get back to you soon with a little more detail on what we’re doing and why. In a nutshell, I’m basing our “flow” on the Advent readings from the Anglican Book of Common prayer. Beyond that, I’ve put together a series of daily readings that represent parallel meditations on the first and second coming of Christ, culminating with the story of Christmas. My goal is that we’ll see Christmas with new, eschatological eyes.
Blessing to you and your community of faith!
Hi. I’m new to North County, and I’m looking for a place to gather and pray and take seriously the needs of the community. I would love to learn more about ikon community.
Hi Jennifer! Welcome to North County. I’ll shoot you and email and we can chat a bit.