Advent
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness,
and put on the armor of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us
in great humility;
that in the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
-Scot McKnight
Advent mean’s “arrival” or “coming” (from Latin adventus). During this time, leading up to Christmas, we look forward to and prepare ourselves for Christ’s future arrival in glory to complete his kingdom. Our wait and preparation is similar to Israel’s before Christ’s birth: they were in exile, eagerly anticipating his birth (Isaiah 9:6-7, 40:3, Luke 3:1-6, 12:40).
Some resources to help you connect with and prepare for Jesus this Advent season:
ART: The Visual Commentary on Scripture Advent Calendar
MUSIC: 2020 Advent Playlist