Advent 2011: Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree

We all get a laugh when we think about Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree – so tiny, fragile, and, well, naked!  It goes against all that we know about Christmas trees.  In fact, looking at Charlie Brown’s tiny tree, baring all its limbs as it bends toward the earth, it is hard to believe that the tree was ever green at all!

However, isn’t this tree just how we should be before God?  Shouldn’t we be bowing in His presence, naked and showing all of our flaws?  Perhaps our Christmas trees should not be those perfectly green cones that we search for each year.  Instead, maybe we all need a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree in the corner with all of its imperfections shining brightly before us all as a reminder of why we need Jesus.

Christmas Adventus Day 6: Place a picture of Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree in Advent bag #6. When your angels remove it, read the above thoughts about Christmas trees.  Ask your angels to share something that they have done well; you share, too.  Next, ask everyone to share something that they have done wrong.  Now, have everyone kneel on the ground and bend over like the tree.  In that position, pray this:

“God, thank you that I am not perfect.  Forgive me for all the things that I have done wrong.  See my faults and help me to be more like you.  Amen.”

For today’s activity, go to Christmas Adventus 2011.




For our other Advent activities, see "Christmas Adventus 2011: Celebrating Allergy-Free".

Advent 2011: Two Letters and a Phone Call

When I was a child, I remember the excitement that came when my grandparents would ask, “Have you written your letters to Santa, yet?”  And, even if I had written him a hundred times, it was never enough. So, I would write a letter and my grandfather would send it up the chimney.  I never understood how it got there but, this tradition added to the magic of Christmas.

Today, even if we send those letters up the chimney, there are many more ways to communicate with Santa. He is on the internet, he mails letters, makes phone calls and even has a post box in a department store.  However, although these new traditions make Santa more accessible, none of them creates the same magic as the moment that my letter was whisked up the chimney!

Christmas Adventus Day 5:  Place a piece of stationary, envelope and a pen in the bag for today.  Have your angel write a letter to Santa and place it in the envelope.  Address the letter to Santa at “The North Pole” and tell them that you will mail it for them.  If your child would prefer to make a phone call, you can have them dial the North Pole….or, better yet, while they are working, have “Santa” ring them!  Finally, everyone knows that Santa likes to answer the letters of every good little boy and girl.  So, print (or get an email) from Santa.

Go to Christmas Adventus 2011 for details on how to communicate with Santa.



For our other Advent activities, see "Christmas Adventus 2011: Celebrating Allergy-Free".

Advent 2011: The Beginning

 ^"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it. "  John 1:1-5, NIV

Our story Christmas story does not begin with Jesus birth or even with His conception.  The Christmas story begins with God and his plan for us.  John tells us that "the Word", Jesus, was with Him from the beginning and that "all things were made" through Him.  So it is only fitting that we begin our story "In the Beginning", too.

Christmas Adventus Day 4:  In bag #4 on our advent calendar, I placed a card with the word "Genesis" written on it and a very tiny flashlight.  If you have a small Bible with the Old Testament, you could put that in the bag or you could print out Genesis Chapter 1.  After your angels open today's bag, have them find Genesis Chapter 1.  Now, sit in the darkest place that you can find and turn off the lights.  Tell your angels that you are going to read a story and you want them to listen for what God made each day.  While you are sitting in the dark, recite (you'll have to do this from memory for full impact) Genesis 1:1-2.   In verse 3, when you say, "Let there be light,"  turn on your flashlight.  Finish reading Genesis Chapter 1.  When you are done, see how much your angels can remember:

• What did God make on Day 1?  Day 2? 3? Days 4-6?
• When God had finished his work each day, what did He say?
• What job did God give us in the beginning?

To see what else we did to celebrate Christmas Adventus Day 4, click here.



For our other Advent activities, see "Christmas Adventus 2011: Celebrating Allergy-Free".