Anticipating His Arrival
A Family Guide through Advent
Rick Brannan
Today’s Reading
Anticipating His Arrival: A Family Guide through Advent
Copyright 2015 Lexham Press
Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225
You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please contact Lexham Press for permission. Email us at permissions@lexhampress.com.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Lexham English Bible (LEB), copyright 2013 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Faithlife Corporation.
Print ISBN 9781577996903
Digital ISBN 9781577996910
Lexham Editorial: Abby Salinger, Abigail Stocker
Cover Design: Christine Gerhart
For Amy, Ella, Lucas, and #3
Foreword
When I was growing up, Advent was a part of celebrating the Christmas season. In my adult life, when I began to worship at a nondenominational community church, Advent was not observed or mentioned at all. And I missed it.
A few years later, my wife and I became involved in a new church plant, and I decided to write a short devotional for Advent for church families to use. The church even printed a limited run, and it was well received.
I used one year of the reading schedule from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) as the basis for the readings. If you know anything about the RCL, you probably know it is based on a three-year cycle. So in the years following my original work, I wrote (and rewrote) devotional material for each year of the lectionary cycle. The devotional now has readings for each liturgical year and can be used perpetually with the standard church calendar.
I’m grateful to Lexham Press for wanting to publish this little book, which has been so useful and encouraging to my own family and the families of friends.
My family’s prayer is that during the Advent season, you and yours will be drawn into the wonder of the Messiah—God become human—and begin to look forward to his second coming. We pray that this Advent, you will anticipate his arrival.
Rick Brannan
August 2015
Introduction
Advent is observed each of the four Sundays before Christmas. In the church I grew up in, which did not follow the liturgical calendar, we still observed Advent using a wreath with five candles: four purple candles on the wreath itself, with a white candle in the middle. On each of the four Sundays before Christmas, a purple candle was lit in conjunction with a Scripture reading. There was also a Scripture reading on the Christmas Day service, with the white candle lit on that day. For me, Advent signaled that Christmas was coming—and that Christmas was about much more than giving and receiving presents.
This devotional provides Scripture readings for each week and each day of the Advent season. Questions and responses for each reading are supplied. These can be used for reading and meditation or to start a discussion in a family context.
![]() |
About Anticipating His Arrival: A Family Guide through AdventAdvent is both about Jesus’ first coming in Bethlehem and his second coming, which we await. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we remember his first advent and prepare for his second, celebrating both events. Centered around the themes of preparation, anticipation, joy, and incarnation, Anticipating His Arrival helps you guide your family through Advent as your expectation of Jesus’ arrival grows. |
Support Info | ntcptnghsgddvnt |