{"id":37915,"date":"2022-11-29T08:04:30","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T15:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.boundless.org\/?post_type=blog&p=37915"},"modified":"2025-11-21T10:03:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T17:03:56","slug":"3-easy-ways-to-celebrate-advent","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.boundless.org\/blog\/3-easy-ways-to-celebrate-advent\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Easy Ways to Celebrate Advent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas is mind-boggling when you think about it.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t just mean the story itself, though the sheer brilliance of the Christmas account blows me away. A Messiah anticipated for thousands of years, coming during enemy occupation \u2014 as a baby? Angels announcing the infant\u2019s birth by giving outcast shepherds directions to a feeding trough? Wise stargazers from faraway lands ghosting the king after dreams about his jealousy? Truly the stuff of an epic story.<\/p>\n

But what I\u2019m particularly amazed by is the collective fervor around even our modern Christmas celebrations. All over the world, store managers hire resident Santas, churches put on living Nativity reenactments, and friends host ugly Christmas sweater parties. \u00a0Homeowners vie for Guinness record domination in Christmas light decorations<\/a>. Americans buy 25 to 30 million live<\/a> Christmas trees annually \u2014 though more people opt<\/a> for artificial ones. Analysts think Christmas shoppers will each spend $1800<\/a> on Christmas shopping this year, despite half of Americans say they\u2019ll be cutting back.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019ve already spent more time thinking about gift ideas and holiday plans than I have about a King in a manger. How can we ensure we don\u2019t blow past the reason for all this joyful busyness?<\/p>\n

Advent with intention<\/h4>\n

This past Sunday marked the official beginning of the Advent season. Advent<\/em>, a shorter form of a Latin word meaning \u201ccoming,\u201d memorializes the Israelites\u2019 millennia-long wait for the Messiah. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Christians observe Advent to remind ourselves of the promises of God that Jesus has fulfilled.<\/p>\n

Preparing for Christmas probably requires more intentionality than preparing for Easter. We face more distractions this time of year, and often more family obligations. With all the Christmas shopping and white elephant gift exchanges and (yikes) ugly Christmas sweater parties, December can be a blur. Why not carve out time to remind yourself of the reason for all this hubbub? Why not choose to step back and reorient your focus on the Savior who entered our misery, bringing peace and hope to our chaos and stress?<\/p>\n

But this takes more than a chocolate Advent calendar.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Join\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n

I love the idea of Advent, but sometimes celebrating it becomes yet another thing on my to-do list. Also, some of the details confuse me. Which night do we light which color candle? What day do we start?<\/em> I\u2019m sure each of these detailed traditions overflows with meaning, but I think it\u2019s OK to simplify your Advent preparation. Here are a few basic ideas to consider this year.<\/p>\n

Read an Advent devotional book. <\/strong>Advent devotionals give us a bite-sized daily reminder of the magnitude of Christmas. A Christmas-specific Scripture reading plan is another great idea. For a few minutes a day, maybe as part of your quiet time, these plans or devotions can help you focus on the meaning behind our celebrations. Your to-do list and social calendar may still be full, but for a little while each day all of that can take a backseat.<\/p>\n

Give something up. <\/strong>Many of us do this for Easter, observing the classic Lenten practice. Why not adjust the tradition for the weeks leading up to Christmas? I decided to take a break from social media this December. I may have to hop on occasionally, but I\u2019m avoiding killing time on Facebook or \u201cjust checking\u201d when I feel bored. I\u2019ve only been off social media for a couple of days and already I can tell a difference: so much less focus on what other people have or do. I\u2019m freed up to prioritize the relationships closest to me in real life.<\/p>\n

Go to a Christmas event or service that isn\u2019t at your church.<\/strong> Don\u2019t skip your church\u2019s events, but consider finding another event to attend elsewhere. Maybe if your church doesn\u2019t host a Christmas Eve service, you can visit a nearby church that evening. Or maybe you can attend a Christmas cantata earlier in the season. At an event at a church besides your own, you won\u2019t have responsibilities and you\u2019ll be less likely to think about who you need to talk to after the service. It could free you up to focus on the content of the message and music.<\/p>\n

Advent with authenticity<\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t let these ideas be simply another to-do list. Find what helps you and chuck the rest. Or maybe you have another idea for how to reorient your focus on Christ.<\/p>\n

This December will likely still be busy, and that\u2019s OK. Jesus came to a world that has tasks and responsibilities, and He promises that He works in us even in seemingly un-spiritual activities. But maybe in the middle of the busyness and the excitement, you can set aside enough time to remind yourself that it isn\u2019t about the gifts or the parties or the limited-time-only peppermint chocolate chip milkshakes.<\/p>\n

Even celebrating Advent isn\u2019t the point. Ultimately, we want all our activity this season \u2014 the busyness and the intentionality \u2014 to pull us closer to our God. He came to us at our lowest. Even at our busiest, we don\u2019t want to miss another opportunity to see Him.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2022 Lauren Dunn. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Celebrating Advent isn\u2019t the point. Ultimately, we want all our activity this season \u2014 the busyness and the intentionality \u2014 to pull us closer to our God.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":37917,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[4,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37915","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faith","category-spiritual-growth"],"yoast_head":"\n3 Easy Ways to Celebrate Advent - Boundless<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Celebrating Advent isn\u2019t the point. 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