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Advent is the season which prepares us for the celebration of the Incarnation of Christ. Advent’s preparation is less about baking and shopping and decorating and more about the spiritual work of anticipation, longing, and trust. Often we find digging into the themes of Advent a useful counter-weight to the social and cultural practices of “the Holiday Season.”

For 2022, we are taking our “theme” from a line in the assigned reading for the 3rd Sunday in Advent: “Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5: 7-10) For this season, we will be seeking YOUR input. We want to share stories of ways you “strengthen your heart.” What connects you to God? What gives you hope and joy? When and where and how do you best know God’s confidence in you? It might be a single story of a specific time or it might be a practice or a ritual that nurtures you.

On Sunday, December 4, we will decorate the church’s Christmas tree with some heart-shaped ornaments with examples of things that strengthen us written on them. 

An additional Advent practice many people enjoy is a daily devotional on an Advent theme. Here are four options you can access online: 

* You can sign up for a daily email from our Diocese: A Very Anglican Advent Calendar. Each email includes a quote from an Anglican – past and present and from around the globe. Sign up here: https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/diocesan-resources/2022-advent

* The Season of Waiting (and waiting and waiting) devotional comes from Kate C Bowler, author of Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved. (https://katebowler.com/advent2022/) 

* Known & Unknown: Dwelling in the Mystery of Advent from New Leaf Network (find it at https://www.newleafnetwork.ca/advent) features a daily email with a reflection from various Canadian writers. New Leaf Network supports church planters and spiritual entrepreneurs in Canada.

* What Are We Waiting For? Advent Meditations with the Leaders of the Anglican, Evangelical Lutheran, Presbyterian, and United Churches includes a weekly video (available on Mondays) and an opportunity to engage in a Zoom-based conversation each week (on Thursday). Find the videos and register for the Zoom conversations at https://events.anglican.ca/advent2022/pk_vid=d9d1f7e31cd917681669759563b07291.