Interactive Advent and Christmas Devotional
This year’s devotional invites you to be part of building a tighter-knit community right where you are. Share the devotional with friends and family. Read and reflect together as a small group meeting over Zoom or in person. You are also encouraged to bake bread and share the loaves as gifts with others.
Each Friday in Advent, a bread recipe will be offered. Make more than one loaf so that you can share one and keep the other to be part of your Sunday Advent practice of having a simple meal as you light the candles around the Advent wreath.
You can enjoy the bread as you light the Advent candles as part of your breakfast or later in the day for supper. For either meal, keep it simple: bread, butter and jam for breakfast; bread and soup for dinner. Advent was originally embraced as a winter Lent, so having simple meals during a season of holiday feasting will make a wonderful spiritual practice.
And for those whose baking skills are not the best — or if there is a week where there is no time to mix, knead and bake — seek out artisan bread in your neighbourhood bakeries or specialty shops. Buy a loaf for yourself and a loaf to give away. The local shops will appreciate the business.
Social media participation
St Johns Papatoetoe wants to share your loaves of bread or your lighted Advent candles (or both together) with others. Submit pictures to our Facebook page.
Sign-up to receive daily devotions in your email inbox through Advent and Christmas 2021. Read the introduction here.