Christmas is on a Monday this year, and that makes the church season of Advent very short. It is one of those odd years when the fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve are the same day!
Tomorrow is December 1, the day on which Advent calendars begin their twenty-four day countdown to Christmas. Liturgically, however, Advent begins this weekend with the First Sunday of Advent.
But here at the Cottage, we’re going to start a little early and begin our Advent reflections with the calendar date.
Welcome to A Beautiful Advent.
This first reflection is open to the entire community.
On Monday December 4, the Advent calendar will be sent to paid subscribers only. There are two reasons for this. First, I don’t want to overload the whole group with daily emails (some of you are very happy with just weekly posts!). Second, the more intimate group makes for a smaller experience where people can feel freer to share comments and respond to one another.
The Advent calendar will be sent weekdays (not on Saturdays) from December 1 until December 25 with a regular Sunday Musing on the four Sundays of Advent.
Don’t worry if you are a free subscriber — every Sunday Musing in Advent will go to the entire Cottage community as Sunday Musings always do. You’ll still receive a ‘taste’ of A Beautiful Advent once a week.
You can upgrade to a paid subscription by clicking this button:
You can give a gift to a friend here:
Or, you can follow the link below for a 7-day trial subscription.
If you’d like to receive the daily calendar but can’t afford it, email us. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1: BEAUTY
Why A Beautiful Advent?
Honestly, I need to be reminded of beauty.
It is easy to be overcome by despair and destruction. Every day, we’re besieged by so much ugliness — corruption, bigotry, hatred, conflict, and war — that it is hard to remember the loveliness of our lives and creation. Indeed, even the word “beauty” might seem shallow, self-interested, or even meaningless amid the suffering of these days. How can we sing about peace, joy, faith, and hope now?
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Cottage to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.