Advent (Coming)

This year I wanted to be really intentional about Advent and the first day of advent totally snuck up on me. So this blog entry is about our families convictions about how we are going to celebrate Advent and how we got to this place...
We got to a wonderful Christian and Missionary Alliance church. We do not read liturgy at church. This is just something the Lord has convicted our family of.
In sunday school the subject of Advent was brought up. Someone explained how the anglican church celebrates the season. It is seen as a mini lint (a time of fasting and meditating on Christ- in particular the coming of christ. Both the coming 2,000 years ago and the second coming to come). During this time of Advent the church fasts on fridays holds off singing 'Christmas' songs until sunset christmas eve. Sundays are always feast days. This is a celebration and a time of fellowship. Also there is the twelve days of christmas and the Three kings days...
One of my favorite things to do during the christmas season is to imagine waiting for the Savior. How silent the days were before Christ. There were 400 years between the last written word and his birth. What a desperate time it must have been. I meditate on my own life, on my need for a Savior. Then when I get to church and sing about how humbly my savior, my king entered the world it is moving. He came to us!
So what does this look like for our family? We aren't exactly sure. This year will be a bit experimental but there is something to be said for liturgy.
1.We will do daily readings from the Common Book of Prayer. The readings are just different parts of scripture. I will post it on the blog so you can follow along too. We read three times a day to help us meditate, pray and focus on the coming of Christ.
2. Fridays we will fast something. (could be food all day, or for one meal, or music, or tv...)
3. Sundays we will NOT eat out but celebrate with our church friends ( the second week of advent our sunday school is having a breakfast) another example would be another sunday having everyone gather for lunch
4. participating in the 12 days of christmas (doing things as a family intentionally. especially outward things - things for other outside of our family).