This is the time of year when many Episcopal clergy start reminding anyone who will listen how important it is to observe Advent. It normally […]
Including Children and Youth in AdventWord
So often children and young people are perceived as only receivers of Christian Formation. In reality they have so much to offer us.
Journeying to Bethlehem This Advent
Last year, I was offered an opportunity to travel to Bethlehem, Palestine to work with adults and youth to create a circus outreach program with a long time friend
Advent Care Package for Youth: What’s in the box?
A post from the Forma Facebook page a few days ago reminded me: what am I doing for Advent with my youth group? Of course, I should have been thinking about this weeks ago. But here I am, scrolling through the list of ideas and putting together my Advent care package. But it’s not too late, especially in God’s time.
Whimsical, Wise Reminders
Modern parenting has no shortage of overthinking things, and in particular, no shortage of overthinking holiday celebrations.
Deepening Our Family’s Faith through the Jesse Tree
In 2015, as my family raced through the fall, my then first grader and three-year-old were already talking about Christmas. Barely past his 7th birthday in October, my son had moved onto Christmas. One day he asked, “Why can’t we just skip to Christmas? Advent is so boring!”
Our Family’s Nativity Tradition
On the first Sunday of Advent after church, I get to go home and do one of my most favorite things. No, it is not decorate a Christmas tree—we will wait until the week of Christmas to do that. On the first Sunday of Advent, in my family, we set up our nativities.
Advent at 80 miles per hour
How do we observe Advent?
#AdventWord 2019
For the past six years, #AdventWord has given the opportunity to participate in a global advent calendar with visual and written meditations. Each day, a short reflection, word, and image arrives in email inboxes and on social media to help focus on the preparatory season during the 24 busy days of Advent.
Turning Toward the Light of Christ
The Friday before the first weekend in Advent, I had only just arrived home when my nearly four year-old son asked if we could begin decorating right now! My wife and I agreed (after dinner). We said that, with our nine month-old beginning to sit up and crawl, we could decorate only at a height out of her reach. We’d set up our little Christmas tree: one that fits on a table top.