December 8, 2022
Advent for All - The Coming of Joy
Week 3
Week 3
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
~Psalm 16:11
Holidays can be challenging and hectic. So this weekly series of Advent and Christmas inspiration features readings from the Bible, music, poetry, picture books, art, handicrafts, recipes, and more to help us savor the season. Our hope is that every member of the family will find something for them and that the various resources would help families, neighborhoods, classes, and other communities carve out spaces for joy, reverence, wonder, and expectation this season as we focus attention on the birth at Bethlehem and beyond.
Bible Reading
Listen
Mary, Did You Know? and Po La’i E
View
The Visitation by Luca della Robia. Consider the size, lines, and structure of the sculpture. What kinds of emotions does it evoke? How? What new thoughts do you have about the story in the Bible because of the sculpture? Read the notes about the sculpture and the artist if interested.
Read
The Annunciation by Elizabeth Jennings. Read the poem aloud a few times. How does the poet help you imagine what Mary might have felt after the angel came to her? Do any lines or images in the poem particularly stick out to you?
Activities
- Cook: Make Pepparkakor Cookies, a Swedish treat to celebrate Santa Lucia Day (December 13th).
- Give a friend or stranger a gift (perhaps some of the Pepparkakor Cookies). Consider making it an anonymous present for fun.
- If the skies are clear, try to view the Geminid meteor shower which peaks the night of December 13th into the next morning.
- Paint a nativity scene for yourself or a friend. Here is a simple tutorial.
- Extra suggested read-alouds: The Making of a Christmas Story (audio), How Far is It to Bethlehem, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
“We all have need to be trained to see, and to have our eyes opened before we can take in the joy that is meant for us in this beautiful life.”
~Charlotte Mason, Ourselves, Book 1, p.43
