One Hundred And One Things

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

I hit the ground running with goal 55 (Do an Advent observance). My list started on Advent Sunday, and so this goal did, too. This is one of my fluffier goals, in that nobody but I will know that I've done it properly, and in that I have allowed myself a certain amount of latitude that can't really be quantified.

So far, however, my Advent observance is looking something like this: Give up buying things for myself, other than essential food and toiletries; do a lectio divina on one of the day's readings; do the Advent examen on wildgodcomm. To this, I have been waiting to add: read an Advent book.

However, Advent as the world in general understands it begins on 1st December, and so does this little book, which I picked up at the Christian bookshop. It calls itself 'an Advent Calendar with a difference', the difference being that instead of titchy little pictures or chocolate, it contains prompts to think about or to do things.

I certainly won't post my response to every day's prompt, not least because I won't necessarily have internet access all December. I will put a few up, however, starting with today's, which, apart from some thoughts on Christmas cards, asks me to make a Christmas wishlist of things to believe in and to hope for.

For Christmas, I would like:

- wisdom to discern between physical exhaustion and mental reluctance
- the government to sort itself out and actually make society fair
- one or other of the political parties to get itself [back] to a state where I can bring myself to vote for it
- world peace (I know, I know... But I would.)
- to remember always that life is good
- the load to even out a little at work
- to learn to listen
- to recognise others as people, always
- good health and happiness for those I love, and for them to find what they were born to do, and have the tools to do it

What's this about?

Every Lent, I [attempt to, at least] take something up, give something up, and read an appropriate book. This goal entails doing the same thing, but for Advent.


Why do I want to do this?

It tends to get a bit overshadowed by chocolate and Christmas shopping, but Advent is a fantastic season, a time of solemn joy, of expectant awe. I want to take it seriously.


How will I know I've done it?

This is one that's not really measurable, the sort of thing for which making a star chart seems to miss the point. I'll know I've done it when I'm satisfied that I've taken Advent as seriously as I take Lent. The only way I can really measure it is to compare it with my own achievement.


I'll track this here and there about the place. There might be Advent music at ancientandmodern. Locked posts at el_staplador. Advent book reviews at stapsreads. I'll update here, pointing to anything of interest.

Goal 55 completed