The word Advent, which means “coming” or “arrival,” marks the four-week period leading up to Christmas Day. We celebrate the arrival of the birth of Jesus Christ in His first Advent, while anticipating the return of Christ the King in His second Advent.

Covenant has created an Advent Devotional. Delivered daily via email, our Advent devotions are intended to draw you and your family closer to Christ during this special season of anticipation. You’ll find devotionals written by Covenant members wrestling with scripture, questions to reflect on and discuss with others, and suggestions for activities to do with your family.

Subscribe to the Advent Devotional here. 

We hope you’ll read and follow along with our Advent devotional, and that you’ll build a habit of spending time in scripture that will last long after Christmas comes and goes.

Covenant members write all the devotionals; scripture passages are drawn from the Two-Year Daily Lectionary from the Book of Common Worship. (This book is also the source for Covenant’s Daily Devotional email.). Here are some suggestions for making the most of your Advent journey with the help of our daily emails:

  • Each Sunday in Advent, Covenant lights one candle in our Advent wreath during worship for each of the four Advent themes: hope, peace, joy and love. Look for these weekly themes of Advent as you read. How do you see the coming Christ in each story?
  • The daily scripture readings include a Psalm, an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading and a Gospel reading. We encourage you to read all the scriptures for each day, even though the author may have chosen only one or two from which to write their reflection. Pay attention to how God may be speaking to you through the daily scripture readings and the author’s reflection.
  • Each page of the devotional contains an Advent Faith Practice. These practical, simple, and meaningful activities are intended to engage your entire family.
     

Build a Habit

During Advent this year, build a habit that will last beyond Christmas.

The shift in seasons is a good time to reflect on our lives and rethink how intentionally we are living. Most of our days are driven by habits and routines that we rarely reflect upon, but these habits and routines shape who we are and what we ultimately want. New habits take time to form – especially, it seems, good habits. Anyone who has tried to set clear boundaries for his or her mobile device, exercise regularly or teach a young child to brush his teeth can tell you that to develop good habits, one must commit to practicing them regularly over a consistent period of time. Some research indicates that you can create a new habit in 20 to 30 days.

What does this have to do with Advent?

Advent offers an opportunity to examine whether we are living with hope for God to act decisively in our lives and in the world around us. How do we habituate ourselves to hope? One way is to immerse ourselves in the stories of scripture in which God is not only a character but the author who makes the entire drama possible. The stories in scripture reassure us that we live in a world where God makes promises and keeps them.

We hope you’ll read and follow along with our Advent devotional, and that you’ll build a habit of spending time in scripture that will last long after Christmas comes and goes.

By subscribing to this email, you will be signed up to receive our daily devotionals all year long.