Friday Five: Adventually

Although it comes as late as it can this year, Advent is upon us. Some of us grew up observing it, while to others (including this childhood Baptist) it was even more foreign than Lent! Over the past twenty years, I have grown to love Advent as a season of preparation, although as a pastor I find it harder to practice it at home than at church, even when the church might prefer I make it the other way 'round.

Here are five questions about Advent for this first of December:

1) Do you observe Advent in your church?
Lighting the Advent wreath each week, blue paraments, singing Advent hymns with a Christmas carol also each week with the 2nd Sunday of Advent, the Children's christmas program on the 3rd Sunday of Advent. In the past, we've registered our hope for Christmas by registering in the direction of our home towns (N,S,E 7 W).

2) How about at home?
The candles are aglow in all the front windows of the house and a simple evergreen wreath on the door.

3) Do you have a favorite Advent text or hymn?
O Come,O Come Immanual, is one of my favorites.

4) Why is one of the candles in the Advent wreath pink? (You may tell the truth, but I'll like your answer better if it's funny.)
Oh that's easy: Mary was hoping for a girl!!!!!
5) What's the funniest/kitschiest Advent calendar you've ever seen?
Can't think of one. My grandma would send us one every couple years from Switzerland and we so enjoyed opening up the windows one day at a time, my sister and I comparing what was behind the windows on our calendars. That was way before you could get them here, many, many years ago!!!!