5 Adventures to make Advent yours

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him
Romans 15:13a

They risked their lives for me.
Romans 16:4

Adventure = Risk + Hope.

That’s my own little equation I came up with years ago. I’ve taught that, written about it, and generally try to look at Christianity through that kind of lens. From its infancy, Christianity wasn’t safe, stagnant, or easy. We’re supposed to be on an Adventure!

Now think about this: The root of that word “adventure”, is the word “advent”, which means “something coming”. Put it all together, and I have my own new definition for Advent: A journey of risk and hope that leads to the coming of Christ.

What adventures could you undertake as you are waiting for the coming of the Christ? Here are some suggestions:

Get lost. Instead of driving to the same subdivision to look at Christmas lights, why not go looking on a street you’ve never been to before? Maybe you could even travel into a neighborhood that looks a lot different to your own. Whether it’s street lights or flashy Christmas ones, you might catch a glimpse of the light of Christ in a place you’d never thought to look.
Reconnect. Reach out that roommate from college that you’ve lost touch with. Send a card to a sibling that you don’t talk to very often. It may feel risky, but reconnecting with relationships that may have fallen by the wayside, can make for a very hopeful Advent.
Pray another way. While you’re reconnecting with friends and family, why not reconnect with God in an adventurous way? Instead of the same old daily prayers, try silence, or nature. Do something creative. Write a Christmas letter to God instead of Santa. There is no end to the many ways you can make Advent a spiritually adventurous time of year.
Build a hope mobile. No, not a pope mobile – a hanging, dangling work of Christmas art, displaying messages of hope you want to hold onto this season. Put it somewhere you’ll see it throughout the day. The risky part is hanging it somewhere other people will see it! Kind of like an advent calendar and work of art all-in-one.
Turn your shopping into hoping. Take a risk and buy your loved ones something they might never have asked for, but they might just love. Something that passes on a sense of adventure. Better yet, make a donation in their name to a charity they might really care about.

Christ preached this kind of adventure over and over again. Paul modeled his life and ministry on equal parts risking and hoping. This year, why not make advent yours with lots of Christmas adventures.

Feel the thrill of the season by adding yourself

to the Christmas equation.

Have a good week,

Mitch