Our Christmas mantle this year proclaims it; JOY! It is a beautiful word and a hard one to live by. I often find myself using the word almost interchangbly with happiness and yet there is such a difference. I think that happiness is a feeling or emotion mostly based on our situation or experience. Whereas Joy finds it’s home even in times where there isn’t a lot of happy to go around. Joy in sorrow, joy in pain, joy in weakness; Joy. I have found it in unexpected places and am even learning that joy is becoming a fiber in my being. Sometimes joy is a choice that I have to make and at other times it comes in a great flood, as with the wise men who “when they saw the star, they were overjoyed.“
Advent 2011
Week 3: Joy
Verse:
Psalm 95:1
Come let us sing for joy to the Lord;…
Song: O Come Emmanuel:
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Lighting:
Light the first Candle of Hope: We light the first candle to remind us of the hope that we have in Christ; the hope that he brings to the world.”
Light the second Candle of Peace: “We light the second candle to remind us that Jesus comes to bring Peace to both the world and to people’s hearts.
Light the third Candle of Joy: We light the third candle; the candle of Joy to remind us that Jesus brings us Joy.
Story: We will continue the story of Jesus, reading a few verses a day. This week is all about the Wise men. (Using the pieces from our nativity to tell the story)
The Promise of Jesus:
Sunday: Matthew 2:1-2 (The Wise men)
Monday: Matthew 2:3-4(Herod)
Tuesday: Matthew 2:5-6 (It is written…)
Wednesday: Matthew 2:7-8(Herod sends the wise men to Bethlehem.)
Thursday: Matthew 2:9-10 (The star stopped )
Friday: Matthew 2:11(Gifts)
Saturday: Matthew 2:12(a different way)
Action:Visiting the Senior’s home with the girls, just to take some time to chat and maybe sing some Christmas carols. This is actually something that I would like to start doing on a regular basis as it is something that we have done before and I know that many of the elderly people are lonely. Turns out that we actually probably won’t do this as it is a little more than I can handle these days, but next year!
As we walk through the weeks of advent this year, we are enjoying the natural rhythm of of it. We are taking each week with reverence and yet with a relaxed approach; that is if we have had a busy day, we may only light the candles and sing (This is what both girls love). Some days, the girls are enthralled with each part that Dan and I have planned while on others, they are a little squirrely. And that’s okay, we are just going with it.
May Joy find you this week as you walk through the third week of Advent. Please, share what you plan or would like to do this Advent season…or any thoughts you have really. I would love to hear all about it.
Recent Comments