ADVENT IS HOPE FOR THE SOUL

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

BY EMILY DICKINSON

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

‍Advent is a time to remember the HOPE that we as Christians experience in our souls. We anticipate the coming of the King in the darkest time of year, remembering and seeking the light that He brings to our hearts and home. This is a good time to sing and praise God with the hope that Dickenson so beautifully personifies as a bird, celebrating not only the coming of Jesus over 2000 years ago, but also anticipating the second coming of the King with joy. 

These four weeks before Christmas are one of my favorite times of the year. My spirit bubbles with eagerness for the celebration ahead, but relishes in slowing down to savor the moments of deep satisfaction in studying passages of scripture which people have been reading for over 17 centuries. Advent is a feast for the soul.

So when you celebrate Advent with your children, know that you are joining millions of people over millennia who also marked this special time of year in faith. And who doesn’t love the wide-eyed, breathless anticipation of good gifts? 

But how does a parent, who has limited time, (or is moving Church buildings) squeeze in a meaningful Advent experience? Good news! Celebrating Advent is as diverse as each person and yet, we have many resources to draw from to find our family’s special connection to Jesus in this season. (See the links below to get your ideas flowing.)

‍In my family, Advent celebrations look slightly different every year, however we do keep three fun activities in the core nightly routine along with prayer. We sing a carol, we open an advent calendar door which slowly creates the manger scene, and we open a wrapped book to read together. When the kids were younger, we checked out 24 picture books from the library, wrapped the books, and numbered them to unwrap and read each night. Now we have a longer story that we read a bit from each night. But we also have had years of studying Handel’s Messiah, or mini Lego creations each night, or reading literary Advent devotionals. It’s important to keep the activities relevant and life-giving as we cultivate space for experiencing HOPE.

‍Finally, don’t grow weary. Allow God to renew your strength. You don’t have to do it all – just select a way to celebrate THIS year that works for you. Remember that the main thing is that you anticipate the coming of the Lord – the “tradition” could look different every year.

‍But those who hope in the Lord

    will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

    they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 NIV

‍Epic Family, we pray that your celebration of Advent breathes fresh HOPE into your souls. We pray you experience the desire to sing like the bird in Dickenson’s poem, sharing the hope that spans generations and inspiring curiosity and faith in your children.

Grace and peace,

Annikki

P.S. We invite you to join Epic Church for Sundays in December – 8th, 15th, and 22nd – as well as a Christmas Eve gathering at our new location, 414 Brannan Street. Grateful that we can celebrate Jesus’ coming together with strength and beauty!

‍ADVENT Resources for Parents:

• Axis Advent Calendar – great convo starters for teens and parents
• What is Advent? & History of Advent – for the curious historian
• Family Advent guide – for the family celebrating on Sundays
• Literary Advent guide – for the Lit lovers ($)
• Advent reading plan - for those who like Jesus Storybook Bible
• Advent activity book - for the crafty ($)
• Advent donation & downloadable guide - for those supporting Connected Families ($)
• Kids Christmas music - for the kids’ music lover
• Christmas booklists - for the bibliophile family (novels and audiobooks too)

‍What Epic Kids & PreK are learning in December:

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