Happy New Year! I say this every year as we enter into Advent because, for Christians, this season is the beginning of the church year.

Advent is the season when we focus on how God prepared to enter into human life directly as Jesus Christ, and why that was necessary. This, frankly, is a two-sided proposition. The good news is that Jesus Christ came into the world. The bad news is why that was necessary: God needed to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Thus, there is a certain "edginess" to Advent that is meant to have us seek a broader, deeper perspective on our lives and our times than we may ordinarily possess.

Of course, these next few weeks are going to be busy - even frenetic - for many of us, and Advent is easily pushed aside or crowded out. There is a relentless social pressure to be "merry" and to express the "holiday spirit" and to spend a great deal of money on many things. This season is the retail time of the year, and many of us depend on the outcome of this seasonal getting and spending, and that is a fact of life.

It's easy to talk about "crass commercialism" and to criticize what is done by businesses in the service of making a living in these times, and I won't do it here. Instead, I want to acknowledge that it takes some thought to discover how to keep the season for oneself. This is not easy, but it is worth it.

May I suggest three practices to help reclaim and focus your life? Any one of these will serve. Especially if you are feeling frazzled by the pressures of the upcoming holidays - for any reason. These are: having an Advent wreath, exploring the Jesse Tree, and observing the Advent calendar. You can find out about all of these on-line, at the public library, or in materials available in bookstores and religious supply houses. These resources overlap in some ways, but they also have their own distinct character.

The Advent wreath focuses on the spiritual truths of the season: hope, peace, joy, and love. Visually, a series of candles is lit, adding one a week, until the wreath of light is complete and the time of celebrating the birth of the Messiah has come again. Short daily readings encourage us to explore the theme of the week. Our desires and yearnings are brought into focus.

The Jesse Tree is a tool for retracing what God has done through time to bless the human race and to call us into deeper life with God, from the beginning of Creation to the present day. Again, brief daily readings are used, but the visual component of the story - which is suitable for children as well as adults - is in the form of filling out a bare tree with symbols of the daily readings. This can be done simply by drawing or coloring in little line drawings that symbolize the text of the day (There are many different resources available).

Finally, the Advent calendar is a retelling of the Nativity story, combining elements of Matthew's and Luke's gospels, and certain Jewish Scriptures, to "prepare the way of the Lord" in our hearts and minds. This retelling is in the form of a calendar for the days of December. I need to say here that Advent calendars are of two kinds nowadays: traditional "bible scene" calendars with bible verses; other pictures and formats which may have little to do with the religious origin of the calendar. It's best to look for a note that says a bible verse is behind each window (and a holy family that is not blonde and blue-eyed).

This Advent, dear friends, I pray you will come to know more richly the deep Hope, abiding Peace, full Joy, and true Love of the season.

God's peace and joy to you all,

Tom Scott

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The preceding text is the rector's introduction for our monthly newsletter, "The Epistle". The newsletter is mailed to all members of St. Paul's Church and is also available in our Church office. An online version of "The Epistle" is available here:

October 2011 ...	Epistle	Serving Schedule
November 2011 ...	Epistle	Serving Schedule
December 2011 ...	Epistle	Serving Schedule

You will need the Adobe PDF reader to read these files. If you don't already have this installed it can be downloaded here:

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We have a detailed monthly calendar which shows our worship schedule and special events.