Friday, December 01, 2006

Advent Friday Five


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? Yes
2) How about at home? Yes
3) Do you have a favorite Advent text or hymn? Yes, but does it have to be just one and only one? Alright, I vote for O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
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.) Well, they can't all be for the guys, can they? Mary had to have some fun after all. This pink or rose-colored candle typifies the act of sharing Christ. Pink symbolizes the Advent Rose, a time to pause in this season to Rejoice in the Lord. This candle is lit on Gaudette Sunday. Gaudette means "rejoice". This candle is also called the "joy" candle.
5) What's the funniest/kitschiest Advent calendar you've ever seen? You got me, unless its the one with the male dancers(The Chippendales *no offense meant) Or the Cat Who Laughed or Harpold's or Weebl's or Electric December or Newby's Advert Calendar or The best Web Advent Calendar(AKA German Embassy (London) musical online Advent Calendar) or Artcylopedia or Bengal Cat Advent Calendar or Rooney Design Christmas Advent Calendar or Yule in Iceland Advent Calendar or qCreative Holiday Calendar or Holidays on the Net Advent Calendar or Dionaea's Advent Calendar (r to X rated) or North-pole.co.uk: Advent Calendar (for the Brits) or from Washington Cathedral Advent Calendar

For the kids: Erling's Advent Calendar or Online Interactive World Advent Calendar, Annie's Advent Calendar, Alice's Advent Calendar, cstitcher , Billy Bear,

More Thoughtful ones: The BBC, Belief Net, St. Margaret Mary Parish , Geneology of Jesus, Ann's Advent Calendar, Mary Page Advent Calendar, Advent Calendar: Celebrate Meeting Jesus, Explore Faith, Advent-Christmas Calendar,



Bonus
An Advent Carol
Twas The Beginning of Advent
Top Ten Christmas Traditions that Didn't Last

After I did the original, I added a few more links. Can't tell I have learned to love Advent as a former Southern Baptist, can you? I'll be adding other items, links, thoughts as the days go by. Happy New Year!

8 comments:

zorra said...

HA HA!
I love the carol!

smkyqtzxtl said...

My daughter and I sang the bong Advent Carol out loud and celibrated the eve of Advent on a snowy, sleety, Saturday morning. Thankyou for bringing us a laugh in a dismal dawn. Blessings.

Unknown said...

There's an Advent Calendar with male dancers? Sheesh.r

Unknown said...

Songbird,
They don't, I just thought I'd say that. LOL. It was off the top of the head. They do have a 2007 calendar though.

Sally said...

Abi- some of these advent calenders were fantastic- I spent a happy time viewing them- thank you!

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

Whew, I'm sooo relieved to know there is no Chippendale's Advent calendar.

Thanks for the great links. I just posted a late Friday five, and we might be a bit on the same wavelength with the pink one....

Loribythesea said...

Hi RevAbi:
Just wanted to say thanks for stopping by during delurk week. (o)

I appreciated it. It also gave me a boost I needed to be doing some journaling during this time, to both record things and process things.

I have gotten more moved and settled in, explained some in my new posts.

I saw a post on RGBP that you're still up working on your sermon. Hang in there, now that things are quiet in the house it should come together more.

Peace, bythesea

zorra said...

Thought you might like to know that the Scientist and I led a hearty chorus of the Advent Carol in our Sunday School class this morning. Some people thought it was very funny; the others were confirmed in their original opinion that we are rather strange....