Seeing and Savoring Christ at Christmas

12/2/2022

As I sit writing this, we are only days away from the start of a new Advent season, and by the time this is posted it will have already begun. While we ought to dwell on the magnificence and mystery of Christ’s incarnation throughout the whole year, it is at this special time, that we as believers should be completely captivated by its significance and meaning in our lives.

This can be one of the busiest times of the year for many of us. As we bustle about with church and family gatherings, concerts, shopping, baking, travel, and a host of other activities, we can quickly find ourselves worn out with little thought given to considering what this season is all about. While the fun, parties, gifts, and music are wonderful parts of Christmas, they are not the Thing itself, and we can easily do ourselves and our children a great disservice by not setting aside time to contemplate Christ and wonder at His coming.

A couple of years into our marriage, my husband and I decided we needed to make reflecting on Christ’s advent together a priority. For the last several years, we have chosen a book, study, or readings to do as a family each night, usually around the dinner table. It has helped us immensely, not only to unify our hearts in our celebration of Christ’s birth but also to keep our minds and hearts tethered to what truly matters at Christmas and the rest of the year, too. Since becoming parents, we have sought and found Advent resources that also include our daughter in this practice and have enriched her understanding of the Gospel and what Christmas is all about. Here are some of our family’s favorite resources for Advent readings and study.

For Little Ones & Children

Jesus Storybook Bible: A Christmas Collection
Many parents and teachers will be familiar with The Jesus Storybook Bible. Written by Sally Lloyd-Jones, it has been a great resource for many years for children to learn about God, the Gospel, and how Christ is the center of it all. Geared toward ages 2-6, it recounts 21 stories from the Old Testament and 23 stories from the New Testament along with vivid illustrations to help children see and understand the Scriptures.

Two years ago, The Jesus Storybook Bible: A Christmas Collection was released as a supplement to its earlier work. This book is intended to be used as a companion piece and is a great option for Advent if you already own and use the Storybook Bible. Each day of Advent directs you to read a selection from the Storybook Bible along with Scripture to read and questions to ponder. One of the beauties of this collection is that it allows parents to engage their children in simple yet meaningful conversations at whatever level they are currently. Furthermore, the book has interactive features which includes classic Christmas carols and activity pages to reinforce lessons, principles, and concepts.

Additionally, Sally Lloyd-Jones has provided a FREE downloadable Advent guide that includes printable artwork and activities, memory cards, a reading plan, and more.

This is a great resource for introducing young children to Advent and why we really celebrate Christmas!

Tiny Theologians
If you have never checked out Tiny Theologians as a resource for the kids in your life, you need to! With materials for kids from ages 2-11, it is an excellent resource to help teach and guide children into becoming exactly what its name says . . . Tiny Theologians!

In fact, this year we are using one of their card collections, The ABCs Of Christmas, as our Advent study with our daughter. Each card has a letter of the alphabet that corresponds to a word presenting a Biblical concept about Advent. Since there are 26 letters we are beginning our study a day early so we can conclude on Christmas Day!

The rounded 5x7 cards are made of high quality card stock with a matte finish and come in a small, sturdy box for storage. We plan to put each card on display after we discover it, not only because they are festively colored but also as a continued visual reminder of what we are learning together.

Advent Candles and Jesus Has Come Advent Candle Cards (The Daily Grace Co.)
This one is a great option for those looking to start the tradition of observing Advent as a family. It is simple but can be very impactful for young hearts and minds, as well as us older ones, too! Last year my husband and I decided to implement this tradition into our family and it was such a blessing.

Like many of our Christmas traditions, the Advent candles find their origin in Germany. According to accounts, a German minister named Johann Hinrich Wichern began the practice in 1839 as a way to help the children in his mission school count down the days leading up to Christmas. Small candles were lit on weekdays and large white candles were lit each Sunday in December. As German immigrants brought the practice to America it has varied and evolved over the years.

The word Advent is Latin for “arrival” or “coming,” and the practice of lighting the candles helps us to consider Christ and why He came as well as provide a powerful symbol of His character and the precious gift of His incarnation.

The Advent candle tradition our family has adopted entails the lighting of 4 candles (one for each Sunday before Christmas Day) and an additional candle that is lit on Christmas Day. The first Sunday’s candle is the Hope candle and speaks of Christ as our hope (Matthew 12:17-21). The second Sunday considers Christ as our Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The third Sunday’s candle examines Christ as our Joy (Luke 2:10-11), and the fourth calls us to remember Jesus’ Love (John 3:16). The fifth and final candle is known as the Christ candle and is lit as we celebrate not just His birthday but what His sacrificial life and death means for us — there is now a way to be made right with God (Luke 1:68-69, 78-79)!

While there are Advent wreaths and candle sets that you can purchase, you can also make a simple one of your own. Here are a couple of pictures of our family from last Christmas lighting the candles.

I bought four small white pillar candles and one large central pillar to be our Christ candle. I placed them on a wooden charger and added some greenery for decoration. It was very simple, inexpensive, and effective!

The Daily Grace Co. has created cards to help parents and kids make the most of the Advent candle tradition. Each card includes a memory verse and description of each candle and what it represents. While geared toward young children, even families of older kids or teens will find these cards useful in observing this tradition.

For Teens & Adults

Being purposeful in our reflection of Christ at Christmas is not just for kids; it is for everyone! As we get older, it is so easy to rush through the season without pausing to be truly amazed and grateful for what Christmas really means. These devotionals can help you stay grounded in Christ and grow in your awe for the gift of Christ this year!

Christmas isn’t just about presents, parties, decorations, or fun music. We know this. But somehow it is so easy to forget this in practice. Our minds know the wonderful truth of the Christ-child, but our day-to-day busyness doesn’t often lend to quiet and intentional reflection on the magnitude of Christ’s birth, life, and death. This year, I encourage you to carve out time to do this. Do it for yourself and do it for your family. Give yourself and your children the gift of experiencing a Christmas far more magical than those simply filled with the things the world counts as festive. Make time to see and savor Christ this Christmas and experience Advent with true joy, awe, and wonder.