You may have noticed that 2020 is not a normal year. So many things have changed as we have
adapted to the requirements of our living through a pandemic. Yet, the calendar just keeps rolling
through the days, weeks and months. Halloween and Thanksgiving required different ways of
thinking. Advent and Christmas will be here soon and while the way we celebrate will be different,
the thing we celebrate is still the same: God is with us. You may share in the belief that this is a
message we need to hear again this year, especially this year.
Advent begins with the realization that we are in need of God’s presence. The classic text for the
beginning of Advent is Isaiah’s plaintive cry, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great
light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2)
Certainly, these have been dark times. We have lived in a land of deep darkness. So, we begin by
acknowledging the darkness, even as we know the light is coming. The study encourages us to name
this season, live in this season, and faithfully progress each week toward the light, the hope, the
promised coming of Jesus Christ.
This Advent Study is a four-week devotion designed to be used on Sundays.It also includes the
culminating event of Christmas. There are two variations for each week: a version for families with
young children, and a version for solo adults and/or adults with youth. Each week’s main idea will be
essentially the same.
