family advent rituals & activities

8/8/2019 Family Advent Rituals & Activities

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Plymouth Church—United Church of Christ

1217 Sixth Ave.

Seattle, WA 98101

Phone: (206) 622-4865

Fax: (206) 622-8726www.plymouthseattle.org

FFFAMILYAMILYAMILY AAADVENTDVENTDVENT RRRITUALSITUALSITUALS & A& A& ACTIVITIESCTIVITIESCTIVITIES



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RECIPE FOR STAINED GLASS COOKIES your favorite basic cookie recipe

(or use refrigerated sugar-cookie dough)

brightly colored hard candies (life savers are good)

paper or plastic storage bags

hammer

aluminum foil or waxed paperdrinking straw

Place candies into plastic bags, one color per bag. Use the ham-

mer to carefully break candies into small pieces…not crumbs.

Roll or press cookie dough to about ¼ inch thick. Lay aluminum

foil or waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Using cookie cutters, form

cookie shapes. Then use a knife to cut out and remove “window”

shapes from each cookie. Fill each “window” in the cookies with

one color of crushed candy.

Use a straw to press a hole in the top of each cookie before bak-

ing. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes or until the candies

melt together and cookies begin to brown lightly. After cookies

cool, carefully peel them from the foil.



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DIRECTIONS FOR AN ADVENT CALENDAR CONTINUED...

9. Have a simple meal and give the money you saved to world

hunger.

10. Write a thank you note to your Sunday School teacher.

11. Have a family game night.

12. Say a prayer for world peace.

13. Give a parent a hug.

14. Run an errand for your neighbor.

15. Compliment a family member on some special quality they

have.

16. Read to a younger brother or sister.

17. Make your bed without being asked.

18. Take your dog for a long walk.

19. Put birdfeed out for the birds.

20. Bring flowers to someone who needs cheering up.21. Write a prayer on a card and give it so someone special.

22. Invite someone to come to church with you.

23. Pray for someone you know who is sick.

24. Offer to help with the laundry.

25. Bake stained glass cookie ornaments and give them away.

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WELCOME TO ADVENT

How and when did Advent begin?

Advent is the beginning of the church year for us.

The celebration of Advent probably began in the

4th Century in Gaul or Spain. It began as a 6 weekperiod of fasting and meditation for those prepar-

ing for baptism on Epiphany. An extra fast day

was added, probably Monday. Wednesday and

Friday were already Christian fast days. It was a

season of both holy awe and joy; a time for repen-

tance.

It became an official season of the year in the 6th

Century. By

then it had decreased from 6 to 4 weeks in length and the em-

phasis was less on fasting and more on preparation for the cele-bration of Christmas.

So what is Advent?

The word “Advent” is derived from a Latin word meaning

“coming.” Traditionally during Advent, Christians reflect upon

and prepare for 4 “comings” of Jesus.

The first is the one with which we are most familiar: the Incarna-

tion, the coming of God to us in the birth of Jesus in Bethlehemover 2000 years ago. The second arrival we remember in Advent

is Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, right before he

was crucified. As we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth, the

shadow of the cross already falls across his and our path. The

third type of coming we prepare for in Advent is the arrival of Je-

sus in the manger of our own hearts. And finally, Advent has tra-

ditionally included reflection on Jesus’ promise to return at the

end of time. So, Advent is a time to reflect upon what God has

done, is doing and will do.

It’s all about God!



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What can we do to prepare for Jesus’ coming?

Advent is a time to slow down, to look and listen. It’s a time to

become aware of the darkness of winter, and the darkness of our

broken world. It’s a time to acknowledge our need of God’s inter-

vention with mercy and grace. It’s a time to listen to the actions

and promises of God that tell us that the darkness need not over-

whelm us because we are not alone. The Light of God has shoneand does shine in the midst of our darkness, and the darkness

cannot ever overcome it. It’s a time to remember the names of

God; names like “Emmanuel,” which means “God with us,” and

“Jesus” which means “God saves.”

Advent is a time to listen to the voices in Scripture of those who

have experienced God’s persistent intrusion into human affairs to

set things right, to bring us back home to God. It is a time to pre-

pare for such intrusion in our own lives. Advent is a time for hon-

esty, for reading the Bible, for prayer and for marking the ap-proach of God’s Incarnation on Christmas.

It is a powerful season; one into which we need to invite our chil-

dren. We can do that in many ways. Listening to Scripture and

praying around the Advent wreath is a simple daily ritual that

Christians have practiced for hundreds of years. There are other

activities listed in this booklet that may help your children wait in

eager expectation for the celebration of God’s birth in our midst.

A blessed season of waiting to you!

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DIRECTIONS FOR AN ADVENT CALENDAR

Use construction paper, preferably purple or blue for Advent.

Begin your calendar with the first Sunday of Advent.

Holding the paper the long way, draw eight vertical lines 11/2

inches apart, leaving a small margin on all four edges. Draw

horizontal lines that are 2 inches apart, again leaving a space

top and bottom. Lines need to be drawn on both pieces of pa-

per, with the date and pictures or stickers on the cover page,

and typed or printed special activities or Bible readings on the

second page. The two pages then need to be glued together

around the edges. Instructions on the back can invite children

to cut out one day at a time and follow the directions on the

inside. An adult can help get the first cut started in the thickpaper.

Ideas for the activities:

1. Write a note to a grandparent and tell them you love them.

2. With your family, choose a special guest to invite to dinner

some night this month.

3. Do something special for a friend.

4. Bake cookies and invite a neighbor to share some with you.

5. Write a family letter to a friend far away.

6. Using potato prints, make your own wrapping paper.

7. Read a Christmas legend together.

8. Greet someone you don’t know at church.



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OTHER ADVENT ACTIVITIES CONTINUED...

10. Make a Jesse Tree: There are many ways to make a Jesse

tree. Set up a bare branch in a weighted pot. Each day read

the Bible reading for the day, and make an ornament that

represents the story. The Bible readings cover the whole Bibli-cal story from Genesis on. The idea is to trace God’s promise of

a savior and Christ’s ancestry, thereby allowing us to share in

the waiting and hoping for the promised savior.

Readings:

Dec 1: Genesis 3: 1-24 Dec 13: I Sam. 3: 1-21

Dec 2: Genesis 6,7, 8: 1-19 Dec 14: I Sam. 16: 1-13

Dec 3: Genesis 9: 8-17 Dec 15: I Sam. 17: 1-54

Dec 4: Genesis 12: 1-3, 18: 1-5 Dec 16: I Kings 3: 3-28

Dec 5: Genesis 22: 1-18 Dec 17: 2 Kings 2: 1-13Dec 6: Genesis 28: 10-22 Dec 18: Daniel 6: 1-28

Dec 7: Genesis 37: 3-4, 12-28 Dec 19: Jonah 1 and 2

Dec 8: Ex.2: 23-24, 3, 4: 1-20 Dec 20: Isaiah 7: 14

Dec 9: Ex 16: 1-36 Dec 21: Luke 1: 26-38

Dec 10: Ex. 19, 20: 1-21 Dec 22: Matt. 1: 18-25

Dec 11: Joshua 6: 1-20 Dec 23: Luke 2: 1-5

Dec 12: Ruth 1-4 Dec 24: Matt. 2: 1-12

11. Prepare a Christ candle: Get ready for Christmas Eve by

decorating a white pillar candle. Using whole cloves, make the

shape of a cross on the candle. Use gold glitter glue to make it

even more festive. Place the candle in the middle of your Ad-

vent wreath. On Christmas Eve, read the birth narrative in Luke

2, and sing “Silent Night” by the light of the Christ candle.

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DEVOTIONS AROUND AN ADVENT WREATH

Although its origins are obscure, the Advent wreath may have

begun in Scandinavia. During the shortest, darkest days of the

year, people placed candles in a wheel and prayed to the god of

light to turn the wheel of the earth toward the sun again, andhence lengthen the days. Christians adopted the custom of

gathering in prayer around a candle-lit wreath because it so

tangibly presents the darkness of the world and the light that

came to dispel it.

The Christian Advent wreath is shaped in a circle, representing

the unending love of God. Evergreens adorning the wreath sym-

bolize the hope of eternal life that

God’s people share. Four can-

dles in the wreath representthe four weeks until Christmas

Day. The four candles also rep-

resent hope, peace, joy (pink)

and love. They can also represent

the prophets, Bethlehem, the

shepherds and the angels. Tradi-

tionally there are 3 purple can-

dles and one pink one. The pur-

ple reminds us that this is a season of penitence and repen-

tance (the same color as Lent). In recent years, 4 blue candles

have been used; blue is the color of hope. Often a fifth white

candle is placed in the center of the wreath and lit on Christmas

Eve. It is known as the Christ candle.

During Advent, we wait in prayerful expectation of the birth of

the Messiah. We set aside time to light candles, listen to Scrip-

ture and pray together. It is an age-old tradition that ties us

with Christians of all times and places who have similarly waited

for the Messiah to be born anew. Use the weekly devotional

bookmarks as your guide and enter the mystery.



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OTHER ADVENT ACTIVITIES

1. Advent calendar: Buy, or better yet, make an advent calen-

dar. Each day of Advent a new window is opened to reveal a

picture, Bible reading or activity. The final window is opened

on Christmas Eve, with either a picture or Bible reading that

tells of Jesus’ birth.

2. On the move nativity scene: Scatter the nativity set around

the house. Put the stable near the place where you hold your

Advent devotions. Leave the magi in another room, explaining

that they didn’t arrive until Epiphany (January 6). During the

Advent season, gradually bring everyone closer to the stable,

until all arrive on Christmas Eve.

Tell the story of the first crèche: St Francis of Assisi created the

first crèche, a living nativity scene in a cave near his home to

help people who couldn’t read celebrate Christ’s birth.

3. Go for an “I wonder” walk: Go for a star walk and have

“Wonder Conversations:” I wonder how Mary and Joseph felt

traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem. I wonder what the

shepherds talked about at night under the starry sky. I wonder

what the star looked like that shone so brightly.

4. Feed the birds: To remember the animals that were present

at Jesus’ birth, do something special for birds during this cold

winter season. Mix peanut butter and cornmeal together andspread the mixture over large pinecones. Roll the filled pine-

cones in birdseed and then affix ribbons or pieces of yarn for

hangers. Hang them outside for your feathered friends.

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5. Fill a “piggy bank” for the Heifer Project or the Advent Con-

spiracy: The first piggy banks were part of European children’s

Advent preparations. They saved money in earthenware “feast

pigs” which were opened during Christmas Day festivities. Buy or

make a piggy bank and add change to it each day. Perhaps have

the children earn some money to put into the piggy bank. During

Advent, pray for the people who work at the organization for

which you are saving and for those whom they serve Read aboutboth of these organizations at www.heifer.org and

www.adventconspiracy.org respectively.

6. Road to Bethlehem (good for younger children): Using a large

piece of paper or cardboard to be taped on a door, draw a road of

stepping stones leading to a picture of the Nativity (an old Christ-

mas card picture will do). Draw twenty-four stones so that each

day a stone can be colored in to mark the time until Christmas.

7. Plant a narcissus bulb: To help children feel what it is to waitwith hope, plant a narcissus bulb on the first day of Advent. Let

your child tend it while it grows. It should be ready to bloom right

around Christmas.

8. Advent paper chain: Make a purple paper chain with links for

each of the days of Advent. Write a Bible verse, a prayer request

or an act of kindness on each link. Each day one link is removed,

and the child may either read the Bible verse, say the special

prayer or is encouraged to do a kind act.

9. Make silhouettes: Tape a sheet of paper on the wall in a semi-

dark room; project light on the paper. Seat a person between the

light and the wall to cast the shadow of their profile; trace; cut

and mount the silhouette on contrasting colored paper. This cre-

ates a gift of light from darkness.

http://www.heifer.org/


http://www.adventconspiracy.org/




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