Advent

I am nearly 27 years old, however as Friday dawned I realised that one yearly event had not happened. My mother had not sent me my fair trade chocolate advent calendar, which also recounts the Christmas story. However I remembered the little card my postie had popped through the door earlier in the week and early on Saturday I collected an advent calendar shaped package, with my mother's writing on, from the post office. Bless her - she's ace!
The Divine chocolate advent calendar gives you a small chocolate heart each day, and a sentence describing a stage in the Christmas story. It's a story I know well, one that everyone should know well. However as I open each door I try and take in the words afresh and take on board their meaning. I like to think that the heart is a sign of God's love, for me, for you and the world. It's also really yummy!
In addition I have downloaded the Evangelical Alliance Advent Prayer leaflet (if I had gone to church on Sunday I expect it may have been there too!) The blurb on this year's leaflet says:
'This prayer guide provides an opportunity this Advent to discover, reflect on and pray towards the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807.' Each day has one or two bible verses, a theme, a few sentences of introduction and points for prayer. What a great way to use advent for a focus for prayer rather than shopping.
The other week James asked me what I wanted for Christmas. My reply? 'nothing'. However my true desire for this Christmas is for warmth, comfort, rest, relaxation, friendship, fellowship, laughter, hope and expectation. I cannot wait to walk out the office in three weeks knowing I have ten days stretching out in front of me to celebrate the birth of my Lord and Saviour and share that good news with people I know.
On Christmas eve my church has two Family Services in the afternoon, simply because one isn't enough to fit everyone into the building! In the past after the second service, a group of young (18 to 30ish) people have gathered somewhere for food and then returned to church for the Midnight Eucharist. As we sat discussing this in our Mint planning evening I found myself volunteering our flat as a host venue. I am at an odd stage of life. My mother and father are 180 miles away, and James' parents are up the road. This year we are going James' parents for Christmas and Boxing Day and then onto Worcester for a while. James and I are not yet a 'family' in our own right so we split our Christmas' between two locations. Having people over on Christmas eve for me is about feeling part of a wider family. My church family. My friends, and others who I don't know so well yet. I am so excited about the thought of people filling our little flat with warmth, and love, and laughter and fellowship. The most exciting thing for me is that come 11.15 pm we'll don our coats and hats and gloves and walk up to church and celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ again, together, as a family. People over the world will be doing the same.
To me, that feeling, of belonging, and living and loving for an almighty God, is better than any other present I could get.
Hannah x