Advent Devotionals: Waiting for Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching: it’s time to choose this year’s Advent devotional. Choices abound. Some are centuries old; others with a 2021 publication date. Some last only until December 24/25: others continue through Epiphany. Some trace the Christmas story; others focus on the Incarnation. Some are for groups; others are for personal study. The point is:  We await Christmas in many ways.

Why follow another Advent devotional? Because:

1.     They look at age-old truths from new perspectives.

2.     They highlight a critical time in the church calendar, and help inspire a new season of anticipation and joy.

3.     Especially for Christian leaders, these devotionals counteract the draining nature of the Christmas season and, instead, encourage reflection and awe.

Below are five different Advent devotionals to choose from. All are available as e-books or hardcovers/paperbacks. It’s not too late to select yours for 2021! 

·      Come Let Us Adore Him (Crossway, 2018) by Paul David Tripp: Christmas incites worship. Tripp enjoins his readers to be “gripped by the stunningly magnificent events and truths of the birth of Jesus.” With each day’s meditation, Tripp also offers both verses for further study and talking points for children.

·      The First Songs of Christmas (Moody, 2021) by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. Wolgemuth reminds us that even before carolers existed, music and Christmas went together. She arranges her devotionals around the songs Luke records from Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon. In addition to a prayer and extra readings, each day provides the reader with a personal response question.

·      The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas (Tyndale House, 2013by Ann Voskamp. Voscamp’s Advent reading follow a chronological arrangement as she describes the branches of Christ’s genealogical tree. Drawing on the imagery of the traditional Jesse Tree, Voscamp encourages families to make their own Jesse Trees to accompany their daily readings. Each entry also includes quotations from famous Christian thinkers, reinforcing the truth that believers are also part of Christ’s family.

·      Love Came Down at Christmas (The Good Book Company, 2018) by Sinclair Ferguson. If Christ’s coming is all about God’s love for the world, Ferguson posits, then the love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 is a perfect lens for looking at the Christ of Christmas. Each day’s entry also includes reflection questions and a prayer.

·      The Soul Felt Its Worth: A 25-Day Devotional Journey Through the Music of Christmas (Fox Press, 2020) by Cameron Frank and Preston Norton: Carols are almost synonymous with Christmas. Frank and Norton discuss both the history of 25 different carols and their application. Each entry also includes suggested Scriptures to read and reflection questions. Of course, a family can always sing the days’ carol!

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