Christmas Reading

:: from the archives ::

How do you prepare your heart at Christmastime? How do you combat the to-do lists, busy schedule of activities, opportunities for ministry, and more? Have you found any articles helpful to read each year? How do you keep Christ in Christmas? In addition to playing my Christmas playlist nonstop, I have found the following helpful.

Noel Piper explains that Advent is a season to look back and look ahead.

USA Today explains that evangelicals are adopting Advent.

Chapter 5, "God Incarnate," in J. I. Packer's Knowing God is a chapter I try to re-read each December.

I am thoroughly enjoying Nancy Guthrie's Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, "an anthology of Advent readings collected from the writings and sermons of 22 classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers."

Piper's compilation of verses that answer the question, "Why did Christ come?" makes a nice responsive reading, with the leader asking before each verse, "Why did Christ come?"

A small booklet my mom gave me years ago with daily Advent readings, and an article I printed from byFaith's website some years back round out my annual Advent reading.