A Spiritual Discipline For Advent
Earlier this week Vicki shared something on Facebook which caught my attention - a “Reverse Advent Calendar.”
Many of us are familiar with Advent Calendars as a way of counting down the days until Christmas. Tabs are opened on each day of Advent through Christmas Eve. Often these calendars will have either a small piece of candy or a toy hidden behind each tab.
The calendar Vicki shared instead has us putting items in to the calendar. Specifically, items which may benefit local food pantries like the Bread of Life Food Pantry in Palmyra.
This seemed like a terrific idea to the Church Council, so this Advent we’re encouraging the congregation to participate in the shared spiritual discipline of giving. Each day in Advent, set aside the item which corresponds to the given day. Then, if you are able, on Sunday bring your items to worship and we’ll have boxes set up to gather our collected food!
And if you don’t have access to the item listed for a particular day, don't worry! Just substitute another non-perishable item.
Let’s give a bit of joy this Advent Season!
The Calendar
| Date | Item |
|---|---|
| 12/1 | Box of cereal |
| 12/2 | Peanut butter |
| 12/3 | Stuffing mix |
| 12/4 | Boxed potatoes |
| 12/5 | Macaroni and cheese |
| 12/6 | Canned fruit |
| 12/7 | Canned tomatoes |
| 12/8 | Canned tuna |
| 12/9 | Dessert mix |
| 12/10 | Jar of applesause |
| 12/11 | Canned sweet potatoes |
| 12/12 | Cranberry sauce |
| 12/13 | Caned beans |
| 12/14 | Box of crackers |
| 12/15 | Package of rice |
| 12/16 | Package of oatmeal |
| 12/17 | Package of pasta |
| 12/18 | Spaghetti sauce |
| 12/19 | Chicken noodle soup |
| 12/20 | Tomato soup |
| 12/21 | Canned corn |
| 12/22 | Canned mixed vegetables |
| 12/23 | Canned carrots |
| 12/24 | Canned green beans |