Advent Eve

Tomorrow is the first Sunday in Advent.  If we're going to adopt an Advent practice, now is the time to make our preparations.  Do you need candles?  Drawing paper?  Fabric?  A book of Advent reflections?  An Advent wreath?

I will adopt the practices I always try:  an Advent wreath with 4 candles that I'll light regularly.  I might not return to my wreath every evening, but several days a week, I'd like to do that.  I have several Advent devotional books.

But this year, I will be continuing my morning devotional broadcast at 5:30 a.m. on my church's Facebook page.  As I've been doing for months now, I'll be reading from Phyllis Tickle's The Divine Hours.  Continuing this process feels like a special Advent practice.

My church is doing an Advent wreath creating event tomorrow--we're not sure what to expect in these days when we haven't been meeting in person.  It was never a hugely attended event, but this year might be different.

I think I will create a special Advent wreath for Morning Watch.  I'm not sure how I'll let it or display it during the time.  But let me try.  Perhaps there are some electronic candles.  Hmmm.  Let me let this thought percolate--the thought about candles, not the thought about creating a wreath especially for Morning Watch. 

For many of us, this Thanksgiving week-end will be a bit different from what we usually would have experienced.  For me, I'm not driving 12+ hours today to get back home from my North Carolina family reunion.  I've got lots of food in the fridge, so no need to do food shopping or food prep.

I'm seeing some time freed up that I wouldn't ordinarily have--I want to put it to good use by getting ready for Advent.