This week is the beginning of Advent. I’ve heard of advent, and knew it involved lighting candles, but that has been about the extent of my knowledge. Last week in a women’s Bible study, we went through an Advent study with scripture reading and teaching of the meaning behind the candles. We were each given a copy of the above devotional as a gift to enjoy this season.
I started it this morning and was so excited to learn about what it all meant, I’ve sent the same devotional to several of my friends and family. I’m just sorry that it will not be to them before December 5th, so they will have some catching up to do, but I think it will be well worth their time.
According to the author of this devotional, Asheritah Ciuciu, “Advent means ‘coming,’ from the Latin word adventus, and demarks a season of expectantly preparing to celebrate the first coming of Jesus, while eagerly awaiting His second coming to establish His kingdom even as we celebrate His presence among us through the promised Holy Spirit.” (pp. 10-11)
“The first clear reference to this preparatory period occurred in the sixth century, with some anecdotal mentions as early as AD 380…”. (p.11)
It is the setting aside of the four weeks before Christmas to prepare your heart for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It actually begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas which would have been yesterday, November 30th. (p.11 reference)
It may involve calendars, devotionals, wreaths, and five candles which are “lit on successive Sundays and Christmas Eve” depending on location and denomination. (p.12)
There are various themes, but here are the ones generally included:
- hope (or promise)
- preparation (or waiting or prophecy)
- joy (or peace)
- love (or adoration) (p.12)
The author says, “One year, as I reflected on the names of Jesus that appear in Christmas carols, I realized that I need to worship Jesus for who He is in the privacy of my home before I can fully celebrate his birth in the company of His congregation. This practice of meditating on a different name each day, while not an Advent tradition per se, taught me to worship Jesus in a way I’d never learned before.” (p. 12)
And she says, “We all suffer from soul amnesia, forgetting who God is and what He has done for us from one day to the next. Like you, I too must remind myself each year who Jesus is and why His birth is so miraculous—not because my mind doesn’t know but because my heart ceases to be amazed.” (p.13)
I totally identified with Asheritah’s thoughts written above, and this year I want to make sure I’m engaging myself into the wonder of Christmas more than I ever have before.
About the Author
Asheritah Ciuciu is such an interesting name. I wanted to find out more about her. Her first name means, God gives happiness. Her dad made the name up while he was studying Hebrew in seminary. She grew up in Romanian as a missionary kid. She has a blue belt in Karate. Her husband built custom floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for her growing library, and she has filled them up. She says, “I still can’t walk past a bookstore without going in. Ever.” She’s a homeschooling mom to three kids. She speaks three languages. She says, “I could talk about Jesus for hours—and often do.” To find out more about her you can go to https://www.asheritah.com/
In my research of Asheritah, I found this interesting resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NRj5tlpZ4w, a podcast featuring Asheritah talking about “Food fixation: A Spiritual Battle”. She is discussing her book titled, Full. This has been one area of struggle for me so I found it very interesting. If you are challenged with never feeling full, you might find this an interesting resource.
Praying everyone has a wonderful Advent season as we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth!