Dear Parents,
I don’t know about you, but the craziness of 2025 and the influx of holiday shopping suggestions creeping into my inbox alone have reminded me of my great need and longing for the gratitude of Thanksgiving and the reflective expectation of the Advent season!
For some of you, newer to the Anglican traditions of Christianity, this may be your first Advent to share as a family. Our suggested CTR Advent Devotional is a great guide. You can find it here: Advent_Devotional_Year_2025_Revised_The_Jesse_Tree.pdf
Advent is a time to wonder and reflect with hopeful expectation of Jesus’ coming. The word Advent means “to come.” In the readings, collects (a fancy word for specific prayers used in the church calendar) and hymns, we journey back to the time of waiting for the Messiah in Jesus’ first coming, and we reflect on our own journey to Christ in our lives. We journey forward to the anticipatory awaiting of Jesus’ second coming.
In Worship &
Wonder, we share that the mystery of Christmas is so important that it takes
us, as the church, four weeks of Advent to prepare.
How to share Advent as a family?
- Be intentional about slowing down and making it a simple time. Advent is quite counter-cultural in the ramped-up busyness of the holiday season. Give yourself much grace in this endeavor.
- Select one or two activities significant for your family’s spiritual preparation and rhythm during Advent. There are many excellent practices for the Advent season; we can’t do them all.
- Don’t jump too quickly to the celebration of Christmas. Savor Advent first. (There are actually 12 days of Christmas starting Dec. 25th and the celebration of Epiphany on Jan 6th .)
With expectant joy,
Melissa
ADVENT FOR FAMILIES
St Nicholas Day – We will celebrate on Sunday, December 7th
St Nicholas was the bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey) during the 4th century. He was known for his devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ and his generosity in giving to the poor. There are many stories and traditions told about him. He has been told to have gold coins anonymously thrown into a poor family’s window to provide for their daughters’ dowries. The coins landed in stockings that were hung to dry. Hence, the beginning of gifts left secretly in stockings. St Nicholas was apparently also present at the Council of Nicaea when the Nicene Creed was formed. Children around the world leave their shoes out on the eve of St Nicholas’ Day in hopes of receiving candy or treats.
Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree tells the redemptive story of Jesus Christ through symbols from the Old and New Testaments. The symbols represent people, prophecies, and events from the Scriptures. The Jesse tree is a family tree of Jesus. A Jesse Tree can be a simple bare branch, a bough of greenery, an evergreen tree, or displayed in other creative ways. There are typically 28 symbols as ornaments to accommodate the variable number of days in Advent. The Jesse Tree is adorned with an ornament each day of Advent in an order that unfolds the narrative of Scripture from Creation to the birth of Jesus. There are slight variations of the selected symbols and Scripture passages chosen for Jesse Trees. Often, a Scripture passage is read alongside each ornament. For families with young children, a Jesse Tree is an excellent tactile way to explore and interact with the Scriptures, not just at Advent! Families can also make the ornaments together, whether from paper, felt, or wood.
A FEW ONLINE RESOURCES:
Advent: A Rookie
Anglican Guide
Celebrating St. Nicholas Day: the Historical Santa Claus Tsh Oxenreider
Sacred Ordinary Days Advent Resources
One source for Jesse
Tree Ornaments
St John's Vancouver has created another lovely children's Advent devotion that complements our Worship & Wonder; it is available here.