Colleen Orchanian

Advent began this week, so this post is about how to have a spiritually fruitful Advent. It is a season of waiting – anticipating the coming of Jesus. He came once, and He will come again. How can we get ready for His return?

That led me to read the infancy narratives in Luke and Matthew. I was looking for words that reflect the meaning of the season. Maybe something there would help me discern a spiritual practice for the season.

And then I had a thought.

Some people have a word of the year. It is a word they prayerfully discern to focus on in the year ahead. The idea is that, by pondering the word all year, you will deepen your relationship with God and make spiritual progress. I have never had a word of the year, but what if I chose a word for Advent? That might be very helpful to me—and to you, perhaps.

I made a list of Advent words by reading the infancy narratives and found many possibilities:

Fiat—Yes! Mary said yes to Gabriel and bore the Messiah. She didn't know how things would work. She simply gave her fiat. We could reflect on how often we say yes to God and when we hesitate.

Humility. Mary called herself the "handmaid of the Lord." Whatever God wanted, she would do. We can seek the humility of Mary and yield to God's will in all things.

Hasten. Mary hastened to visit Elizabeth when she learned her cousin was pregnant. Joseph hastened to leave for Egypt when Herod wanted to kill the baby Jesus. We can try to notice when we should be hastening, when God is calling us to take immediate action.

Faith. Elizabeth tells Mary, "Blessed are you who believed what was spoken would be fulfilled." Simeon believed that he would see the Messiah before he died, and was overjoyed to hold Him in his arms. He waited patiently, as he was quite old. But he believed the promise of God. Do we have the faith of Simeon or Mary? What do we believe that we cannot see?

Fruitful. Mary and Elizabeth were fruitful, bearing Jesus and John the Baptist. What fruit are we bearing today? How can our lives bear more fruit? Are we bearing Jesus in our bodies and bringing Him into the world?

Obey. Joseph was told to take Mary into his home when he planned to divorce her quietly because she was pregnant. Later, he was told to take Mary and Jesus in haste to Egypt to escape Herod's plan to kill the child. Joseph obeyed the voice of the angel who came to him in a dream. How obedient are we?

Watch. The shepherds kept watch over their flocks at night. Who are we keeping watch over? How faithfully are we doing that? How can we keep watch better?

Glory to God! Those are the words of the angels to the shepherds. Glory to God in the highest! After the shepherds saw the baby Jesus, they left, glorifying God and telling others what they saw. We can focus on glorifying God in every word and deed this Advent.

Seek. The shepherds heard the angels and then said, "Let's go see!" The wise men saw the signs and went looking for the new King. We can seek to see Jesus in others. We can seek to know Jesus more fully.

Joy! When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy. (Matthew 2:10) Oh, to have that joy in knowing the King is near!

Worship. The wise men fell down and worshipped Jesus. They offered treasures to Him. Ponder how you worship and what treasures you have offered to Him.

Faithfulness. This means doing our duty, fulfilling obligations. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple for the presentation. And Mary went to the temple for her purification. They were faithful to the teaching of the law. Sometimes we are not. We find excuses for not following the teachings of Christ. Reflecting on faithfulness might open our eyes to where we are not faithful.

Those are some possible words for Advent. I have mine, but I won't share it because I don't want that to affect the one you choose.

So what's next? How do you live a word for the four weeks of Advent?

First, choose the word. Pray and listen to God to hear what word might be good for you. Meditate on the infancy narratives and listen to the Holy Spirit. A word may jump out at you. But don't stress about finding the "perfect" word, as if there is only one word that will be fruitful for meditation. That is the enemy trying to cause distress. Find a word and stick with it. It will be the right word. What word best reflects what you want to have more of in your life?

Next, make the word visible. Write it on post-it notes or 3x5 cards and put them in places you see every day. On your car visor, bathroom mirror, the cover of your journal, the kitchen sink. Whenever you glance at the card, you'll be reminded of your word and can ponder it, even if it's for a short time. And your word will be with you wherever you go.

Finally, read scripture daily and be especially attentive to your word. (Here is a LInk to a free download with Scripture verses for the words in this post.) How is scripture speaking to you? How does God want you to live the Word? How was the word present or lacking in your day? It's good to journal, even if you write only one sentence a day. At the end of Advent, you can read through your journal for insights from this Advent practice.

Even though Advent has already begun, it's not too late to choose a word. Pray and discern your word today, and let it transform you as you wait in joyful hope for the second coming of our Savior.

Questions for prayer:

1. Which word will you choose to live this Advent?

2. Where will you post your word so that it is visible throughout your day?