Goal 55 Completed

[stapsdoes101things]

Goal 55, you will remember, was a little woolly: 'Do an Advent observance'. What did I mean by that? 'Take Advent seriously.' How seriously is seriously? 'As seriously as I take Lent'.

Well, I think I managed that.

On most days
- I did a lectio divina on one of the day's readings;
- I read a page from Stephen Cottrell's Do Nothing: Christmas is Coming

On several days
- I commented on wildgodcomm's Advent examen post

On every Sunday
- I attended at least one church service

On the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve
- I listened to and read the appropriate O Antiphon

I also avoided buying things for myself, though I slipped up a couple of times on this.


Do Nothing: Christmas is Coming is a thought-provoking little book, but very obviously not aimed at me. ('Me', in this case, being a practising, childless, Anglican.) There was one day that had no question that someone without children between about 3-15 could answer - and quite a lot of suggestions that boiled down to 'Why not go to church and find out what it's all about?' As a result, I'm afraid I was less inclined to take seriously some of the parts that would have been relevant and useful.

The other thing was that it wasn't really about Advent; it was about Christmas. And, while I know Advent is about Christmas really, it didn't help me make the distinction between the waiting and the event.

I will certainly do an Advent observance again next year, but it will not be as part of my 101 in 1001. I therefore consider this goal -

completed