Tod Bolsinger

Advent Eating and Examen-ing

One of our family advent traditions is to meet for dinner the Sunday nights of Advent with another family who are among our closest friends.    We have done this for some years now and the experience has changed as our kids have grown.  But some traditions remain: lighting the candles (and tussling over who gets to use the lighter), eating good food (and keeping track of how much Martinelli's the kids drink), reading scripture and sharing conversation.

Mostly we keep talking about how to simplify, slow down and stay centered on Christ at Christmas time.  Last night we used the Ignatian exercise of examen to focus our hearts on how God might lead us in that way.  In a a nice bit of  serendipity, an article I wrote for The High Calling website on the topic was just posted today.  So, I'll post a link to that article here and keep even this blog  on the simple, slower, staying-centered side today. 

First Sunday of Advent

There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions.
--Bill McKibben, Author, Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For a More Joyful Christmas

So what would your "Make-your-own-Christmas" look like?  What it would take, if for only this year, to have a Christmas that is an accurate reflection of YOUR values, desires, affections and traditions? 

Advent begins today and it is just the season for such reflections.

Advent is one of my favorite times of the year.  In some ways, I realize that that is kind of weird.  Because Advent is not about doing anything.  In fact, it's about NOT doing anything.  It's about waiting and preparing.  As a kid, I hated the days right before Christmas. They seem to creep by so slowly that I would go to bed early to make them pass. 

Today, Christmas is on us before we know it (like around Halloween) and so over-done that we usually end up bidding it good riddance. 

But Advent puts things back into perspective.  It's about fasting, not feasting.  About anticipating, not celebrating.  It's about lingering in the moment and waiting for what is to come.  It may be hard to wait, to linger, to anticipate, to look forward to a future event, to be faithful in the moment, to prepare.  But Advent is the perfect "practice" for what the Christian life is all about.

My friend, Mark D. Roberts puts together the coolest Internet Advent Calendar every year.  Bookmark this link and visit every day.  What a gift, Mark.  Thanks and Blessed Advent to you.

(Mark also wrote a fine introduction to Advent two years ago that is so good, I'll never have to write one.)