Our church doesn’t celebrate advent. We don’t have midweek services or an advent wreath. At home, as a family, we do have an advent calendar. We started using it when Brian was born. In each pocket we put a part of the Christmas story, to help teach him what the holiday was all about. Now that they are older, we have Bible verses in there, both Old and New Testament readings.

I’m celebrating a different kind of advent this year. Christ has already come. He’s accomplished his work and has returned to heaven. But he is coming again, in power and glory. When I was a child and asked why we didn’t celebrate advent, I was told it was because we should always be ready for Christ’s coming. His second coming.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is by the group Glad. They have a beautiful acapella Christmas CD. The song is called “In the First Light.” One of the lines is: