Advent Waiting

Tuesday December 18, 2007

*tape measurer, paper, crayons or something to draw with.  (afterwards, put this picture in the dec 24 pocket)

zechariah 2:1-13

Zechariah had a dream and this is what he saw…

I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line (a tape measurer)  in his hand. Then I asked him, ‘Where are you going?’ He answered me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.’ Then the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him, and said to him, ‘Run, say to that young man: Jerusalem shall be inhabited like villages without walls, because of all the people and animals in it. For I will be a wall of fire all round it, says the Lord, and I will be the glory within it.’…

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

Draw a house with your family in it.  Now draw the houses of your friends and/or families. 

Zechariah had a dream of a construction worker measuring Israel’s house.  God promise that Jesus will renovate and add on to Israel’s house making it big enough to fit all kinds of people from all over.

Each year we wait for Christmas when we remember that Jesus lives in our midst.  Now draw a house around all of the houses you drew. Jesus is making a house big enough for all of them.  Put this picture in December 24th’s pocket. 

a note and a quick head's up

just a quick heads up for parents that you'll need to be ready for making or buying a present for jesus on dec 19th  (there is an opportunity to give that gift to a homeless or needy person on the 22nd).

And here's an update from Michael about the Johnston family advent rituals thusfar...

Larkin is responding really well to the time each evening we are dedicating to talking about Advent. And  Lucy gets that we are expecting something to be in the mailboxes. (we got mailboxes for the kids a while back so we could give them messages) Amy and I learned quickly though that we had to improvise some and lean on a simple theme for Larkin and Lucy. The first activity about sending a message to someone really sunk in with Larkin and he surprised us with who he wanted to receive his message. He thought of friends that live far away that we don't get to see and that he has only met once.   Larkin is four and already answers, " Jesus & God", to many questions once he sees the bible opened. I think it's funny, but I'm glad that he simply accepts what we teach him. The other stand out so far was talking about the King and his Kingdom. Of course a boy likes the idea of being a Knight who helps and serves the King. And he accepted the fact that a Kingdom needs farmers and shop keepers and even musicians.

The thing that I like the most about our experience so far is that it feels like a habit that will become a tradition and also help pave the way for an intimacy in our family in later years. I can really see how our kids value time we intentionally set aside and treat as special.

Travis found this link to another cool advent pocket idea, as well!

if your discovering stuff in your family by using/adapting this, please, share the love!

troy

Monday December 17, 2007

*you will need a paper & pencil, and a Google Earth map of your neighborhood (move it to dec 19 after this lesson)

amos 9

The time is surely coming, says the Lord,
   when the one who plows will overtake the one who reaps,
   and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed…

Make a list of all the things you ate today.  Where did they come from?  Who do you think planted and picked them?

I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
   and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
   and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
I will plant them upon their land,
   and they shall never again be plucked up
   out of the land that I have given them,
says the Lord your God.

Like bananas are best grown in places like Costa Rica or peanuts are best grown in Georgia God promises to plant you where you grow best. We’ve been planted in Capitol View in Atlanta, Georgia. Print out from Google Earth a map of where you live.  Look at the map and ask what else do you think Jesus is planting here? Put the map in the December 19th space.  I wonder how our neighborhood will grow to fit God’s promise?