Wait For It....

Well folks, it's Decembrrrrrrr! Winter's chill is upon us, the scent of snow is in the air, and the season of Advent is upon us! The church year begins today, December 1, 2013 with the first Sunday of Advent, in preparation for Christmas.

Advent, in the church, is the time of year when we begin to prepare for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ. Advent is a beginning. Literally translated, it means "coming", and it a season of anticipation and waiting.

In the secular world, Advent is often seen as that time before Christmas when Christmas carols begin playing, Christmas decorating takes place and everything goes on sale for the Christmas shopping season. This often begins before Thanksgiving is even over!

In the church, Advent is the four weeks prior to Christmas. It is often marked by the lighting of a Advent wreath. In the Lutheran church (ELCA), Advent is celebrated with the color blue, which symbolizes hope. Some people may use an Advent calendar in their homes to mark the passing of each day before Christmas. These calendars often have little doors that open and have small surprises inside them, such as chocolate pieces, or scriptures.

Today, in the F.L.Y. Cafe, we studied the first week in Advent, the week of hope. We focused on Isaiah 2. We talked about the Jesuits practice of "The Awareness Examen", and how the Jesuits utilize this practice to focus on the "God details" in their daily lives that we sometimes miss. We talked about prayer practices and preparing the heart of Jesus' arrival. This year, we will be participating, as a class, in a virtual advent calendar. each day during Advent, The F.L.Y. Cafe will be posting an "Advent surprise" of sorts, with a video, a challenge, a verse or some other resource for spiritual growth and preparation for the coming Christ. Please come and participate in our Advent calendar!  visit each day for a reflection on Advent.

Day 1:

December 1, 2013

Pope Frances I, the leader of the Catholic church, a minister of the faith, defender of the poor and upstanding spiritual example, spoke at world youth day this year and said the following;

"Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! And not only that, but I say to us all: let us not rob others of hope, let us become bearers of hope!"

Lutheran Youth...let us remember this first day of Advent to be bearers of hope. Carry hope with you and spread the message of hope into the world.

Check out this awesome video that a group of children from Australia created to retell the story of Christmas:

Today, as your advent mini-challenge:
***Send a message of encouragement (email, text, Facebook, twitter, snail mail, etc...) to someone who is going through a tough time.