Traditions for the sake of tradition tend toward irrelevance. However, traditions rooted in meaning and purpose, when observed with intentionality and some measure of creativity, can be transformational. Advent is one of those traditions. It is also one often neglected or ignored.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent on the Church calendar. Historically it was a time set aside to help believers prepare to receive the fullness of Jesus’ coming. This time of preparation stands in stark contrast to the chaotic and greed-centric practices of Americans today rushing to snatch the best deals offered by equally greedy merchants as soon as the Thanksgiving meal is done. In the Advent season we find a time to pause and reflect on something so profound and remarkable as the coming of Messiah to redeem those who receive Him, and the coming again of Messiah to claim His redeemed.

Preparation for Advent is more than lighting the candles of the Advent wreath and quoting some scriptures.

The lighting of the candles is but a reminder on those dark December Sunday nights of the coming of the Light of the World to expose our sinful condition and reveal the depth of the Father’s love. The mystery of God coming in the flesh (Incarnation) and His coming again (Return) to fully redeemed those who believe is worth contemplating. It is a time to stop at least for these brief moments each Sunday of Advent to consider what the Lord has done on our behalf, and what we truly believe.

The Advent season is a reminder of the great intersection of God’s love, mercy and grace with our desperate lostness. It is a tradition worth keeping to remind us and prepare us to truly celebrate the coming of the Christ who would be our Savior and King. Advent points us to the reason Christmas is celebrated, something we can easily forget in all the chaos and distractions of a materialistic culture.

To help make your Advent season a meaningful time of preparation and contemplation, BreakPoint has prepared some excellent resources and readings. You can access these at breakpoint.org. If you haven’t already established a strong Advent tradition in your home, it’s not too late to start. You can find many excellent suggestions online. Encourage your grandchildren to join you each Sunday, in person or through Skype, to light another Advent candle and talk about what it means.

Let’s be intentional about keeping Christ the focus of Christmas, and what better way to do that than making Advent a key component of the preparation for that celebration.

Let me know how you celebrate your Advent tradition?