It begins four Sundays before December 25, sometimes in the last weekend of November, sometimes on the first Sunday in December. At Christmas we celebrate the fulfillment of the promises God made-that he would give a way to draw near to him.Īdvent is what we call the season leading up to Christmas. For centuries, God prepared people for the coming of his Son, our only hope for life.

The History of Santa Claus: Origin of St.We are a people of promise. What is Christmas? Understanding History, Origin and Traditions We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ! Learn more at This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. Her most recent book, The Waiting Room: 60 Meditations for Finding Peace and Hope in a Health Crisis, comes out in February of 2019. Choose one today and discover the rest available to you as you focus on Jesus this Advent season.Įlizabeth Reynolds Turnage, author, teacher, and story coach, loves helping people learn, live, and love in God’s story of grace. With this long list of wonderful Advent resources, there will be one that suits your needs perfectly. This Advent resource is also available in PDF form at. How looking to Christ's return gives us rest. How remembering God's redemption gives us rest. Scripture, reflection questions, story starters, prayer, and music lead you to consider four aspects of the rest we have in Jesus: I couldn’t end a post about Advent resources without mentioning the one I designed to help people focus on the rest Jesus brings. A hardback book option is also available at Amazon.įinding Rest in Christmas by Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage (for purchase) The Reformed Church of America website offers multiple free resources for using the Jesse tree for Advent. The group gathers to exchange ornaments, and you have a head start on celebrating Advent! You can even involve your children in crafting the ornaments. Each participant creates multiple copies of one to three ornaments.

One fun way to use the Advent Jesse tree is to do an ornament exchange. Each day’s Advent entry has Scriptures and readings suitable for different age levels. This Advent resource traces the story of Christ’s coming throughout the Bible, using ornaments to illustrate each concept.įor example, a globe of the earth represents Christ’s existence before the beginning of the world a snake reminds us of the origin of sin and our need for a Savior. The Advent Jesse tree celebration is rooted in Isaiah 11:1, “ A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots” (ESV). The Advent Jesse Tree by Dean Meador Lambert (free and for purchase)

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