Advent Reflection Guide

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“The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him ... Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.”

— Henri Nouwen

What is Advent?

Of all the seasons in the Church Calendar, Advent probably feels the most familiar to you. Many people, regardless of faith, have used an Advent calendar—the ones with little windows to help you count down the days until Christmas. Formed from a Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival,” Advent is the traditional celebration of the first advent of Jesus in humility and the hopeful awaiting of His second advent in glory. The season is a time for remembering and rejoicing, watching and waiting. As soon as Thanksgiving is over (and sometimes even before), we start putting up the tree and listening to our favorite Christmas songs. There’s nothing wrong with doing these things, of course, but the whole point of Advent is to spend several weeks—four weeks, to be exact—preparing for Christmas instead of celebrating Christmas. It’s about stepping into the shoes of the Israelites, longing and crying out for the Messiah to come. It’s about reflecting shortcomings and our need for a Savior. It’s about looking around at our broken world and hoping for the second coming of Jesus. And, once we get to Christmas Day, the celebration of Jesus’ birth becomes that much more spectacular and meaningful.

As the name suggests, the season of Advent is about waiting for God’s arrival. It’s a season that marks the time when we wait for the coming of the Lord on Christmas morning, yet Advent carries the idea of more than one coming. God’s people know the Lord has already come, so we look back to the first coming and celebrate his incarnation: God visiting humanity as a baby,  as one of us. We also look forward to a second coming, the day when Jesus will return to earth and reign as King. In between those two events is a third coming of Christ, the presence of Jesus in us and with us through the Holy Spirit. The coming of Christ in the Holy Spirit gives Christians the strength to wait for His final coming.

There are many ways to celebrate Advent. This year, we’ve chosen to focus on Scripture. We want to hear and anticipate the places in Scripture where the Lord promises to send a savior and let those passages settle into our hearts and hopes. There is a text picked out for every day of the Advent season this year, included below. Read through the introduction above, and wrap your mind around the meaning of the Advent season. Take that understanding with you into reading the passage every day—maybe in the morning with a cup of coffee, or in the evening before bed. We’ll practice an ancient type of reading called lectio divina (or a “spiritual reading.”) The goal of lectio divina is to listen for God’s voice in each passage. What might God be saying or inviting you into? What stands out to you in the passage? After you read each text a few times, write down what stood out to you. 

We all have a lot to learn about waiting. This time of year can be painful and lonely for many. We hope and pray that this guide will lead us deeper into practicing the way of Christ so that we might look more like Jesus as we wait for His return and walk together in His love and grace. 

Lectio Divina

Devotional reading has five steps:

  1. Slow down and sit in silence for a minute or two. 

  2. Read the passage slowly. When a word or phrase catches your attention, slow down and take note. 

  3. Read the passage a second time. This time, listen to what God might be saying to you through the words and ideas that stood out to you. What is his invitation?

  4. Read the passage one more time. This time, pray and respond to his invitation. Tell the Lord how you’re feeling and what you see in the passage. Write this down in the space provided. 

  5. Lastly, think about how you can take what you heard into your life. Pray and ask for the Lord’s help. 

Daily Readings

Nov 30 - Jeremiah 33:14-16

Dec 1 - Luke 1:68-79

Dec 2 - 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Dec 3 - Psalms 25:1-10

Dec 4 - Malachi 3:1-4

Dec 5 - Luke 21:25-36

Dec 6 - Philippians 1:3-11

Dec 7 - Psalms 80:1-7

Dec 8 - Isaiah 12:2-6

Dec 9 - Luke 3:7-18

Dec 10 - Hebrews 1:1-4

Dec 11 - Psalms 97

Dec 12 - Micah 5:1-5

Dec 13 - Luke 1:39-45

Dec 14 - Hebrews 10:5-10

Dec 15 - Psalms 96

Dec 16 - Isaiah 9:2-7

Dec 17 - Luke 2:1-14

Dec 18 - Titus 2:11-14

Dec 19 - Psalms 98

Dec 20 - Isaiah 62:6-12

Dec 21 - Luke 3:1-6

Dec 22 - Philippians 4:4-7

Dec 23 - 1 Samuel 2:18-20; 26

Dec 24 - Matthew 1-2:23

As you read, reflect, and listen for the Lord’s voice each day, ask yourself what the Lord might be saying to you and inviting you into this Advent season. Keep the three advents of Christ in mind and ask yourself what each arrival means for you in this season.

A prayer for illumination:

Guide us Lord, by your Word and Spirit, to ache for your return. Open our ears to hear your voice telling about your advent, and warm our hearts to long for it. For the sake of your Son, by the power of the Spirit, lead us to the light of your peace and presence. Amen.