Advent is a critical part of the Church year. As Lent leads up to Easter so Advent leads up to Christmas. It is a chance to reflect on the gifts that have been given by God and the gifts that are to come.
Downloads:
Special: Advent and Isaiah Chapter 9
Musical (and more) notes
There are many collections of traditional Advent and Christmas music available to buy. These can lead to some discussions about musical traditions alongside others such as illuminated streets and Advent calendars. YouTube also has an interesting selection – including some lovely Taize songs such as Wait for the Lord.
One of the challenges of Advent and at Christmas is that the story is, perhaps, too well known. One way in which to overcome this is to explore multicultural expressions of Advent . There is a wealth of artwork available showing the Advent and Christmas story from a range of ethnic and cultural perspectives. When doing this ensure that you look closely at the story itself and not become caught up in the other traditions and customs that have come to surround it.