For discussion: "The desert of Advent: our passage to Christmas" and "A mother’s perspective on Advent"

Questions for reflecting on and discussing the feature articles, The desert of Advent: Our passage to Christmas and A mother’s perspective on Advent (Nov. 24, 2014 issue)

November 19, 2014 | Feature
By Barb Draper |

1. Stuart Scadron-Wattles says that waiting in expectation is a difficult balancing act. What experiences have you had of waiting with expectation? What makes it difficult? Do we recognize and accept what we’re waiting for when it comes?

2. Scadron-Wattles contrasts “getting into the Christmas spirit” with journeying through the desert of Advent to get to Christmas. Do you find yourself trying to get into the spirit of Christmas? How is that different from approaching Advent as a desert to cross? Do you find the image of Advent as a desert helpful?

3. Scadron-Wattles says the desert is very different from a contemporary city “that decks itself out for the holidays like a faithless man in a designer suit.” Is that what Christmastime feels like in your city? Do holiday decorations encourage us to ignore the things in our lives that need changing?

4. Why did many of the people who waited for a Messiah not recognize him when he came? Does the coming of the Messiah still surprise us? What does it mean to nurture the moment as we wait?

--Posted Nov. 19, 2014

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