Advent is a season of waiting and longing. Through history, the church has identified the weeks leading up to Christmas as a time of preparation, a season to notice our deep and innate longing for Jesus. We anticipate the coming of the Christ child and his presence with us today, and we wait in hope-filled longing for the day when he will come again.
As we journey together through Advent this year, we will seek to consider, welcome, and hold our longings as we anticipate the coming of Jesus. We hope for his presence with us today, and we look forward to the day of his return when everything sad will become untrue.
Week 1
This week, we identified our longing in this season and sought to welcome and hold it in hope-filled expectation for the coming of Christ.
Kingdom Practice
This week, let’s continue to hold our longings. Let’s make time during the week to return to the welcoming prayer we practiced together, and as we go about our days, when our longing arises, let’s pray together that simple prayer of “Come, Lord Jesus.” If you find it helpful, you can access a guided welcoming prayer with an audio version or a video version.
Week 2
This week, Nicole invited us to consider our longing for home as reflect on the story of Ruth.
Kingdom Practice
This week, let’s continue to hold our longings. Let’s make time during the week to return to the welcoming prayer we practiced together, and as we go about our days, when our longing arises, let’s pray together that simple prayer of “Come, Lord Jesus.” If you find it helpful, you can access a guided welcoming prayer with an audio version or a video version.
This week, Casey Tygrett invited us to consider the longing we see revealed in the Psalms of David. Casey showed how David teaches us that “perhaps the most powerful thing we can do is take our longing to God.”
Kingdom Practice
This week, let’s continue to hold our longings. Let’s make time during the week to return to the welcoming prayer we practiced together, and as we go about our days, when our longing arises, let’s pray together that simple prayer of “Come, Lord Jesus.” If you find it helpful, you can access a guided welcoming prayer with an audio version or a video version.
Books
Pauses for Advent by Trevor Hudson
Circle of Grace by Jan Richardson
Touching Wonder by John Blase
Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin Jr.
God with Us
Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser
The Gift of Restlessness by Casey Tygrett
Songs
Lord Remind Me by Praytell and John Guerra
Something Bright, Something Shining by Praytell and John Guerra
May You Find a Light by the Brilliance
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus by Paul Zach, Taylor Leonhardt, Lauren Plank Goans
O Come O Come Emmanuel by the Liturgists ands Sleeping at Last
Other Resources
A South Pole Advent an article by Carolyn Arends
Learning to Wait an article by Richella Parham
Waiting Together a Renovaré webinar with Steve Bell and Malcom Guite
If you have a story to share about how you have been encountering God in this season, we would love to hear it!
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