Advent and Christmas Resources Available

The season of Advent, which begins this Sunday, Dec. 1, celebrates both the arrival of the Christ child in the manger and the time when Christ will come again.

It has to be this way because “if Jesus is not coming again, then there is very little to celebrate in his having arrived here on earth in the first place,” according to an introduction to Advent and Christmas Resources available through the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary.

According to the resources, “Secular society knows a little something about Christmas but virtually nothing about Advent.  The danger for the Church is to end up going in this same direction. In our rush to get to the manger, we are tempted to downplay—or completely ignore—the Advent themes that the Church has long believed are necessary so that we can come to the cradle of Christ in the right way.”

The Advent and Christmas resources contain reflections on the Gospel of Matthew, sample sermons, and links to other sermons as well as articles on Advent and worship resources from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.

On its webpage, the worship institute states: “In Advent we hear the prophecies of the Messiah's coming as addressed to us—people who wait for the second coming. In Advent we heighten our anticipation for the ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament promises, when the wolf will lie down with the lamb, death will be swallowed up, and every tear will be wiped away.”