Day 10 Advent Candle: Today you will light the Prophecy Candle and then the Bethlehem Candle. Bible Verses Luke 1:11-25 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." (NIV) We're stepping back to Zechariah today because he is the first person in the Christmas story to hear from one of God's messengers about the birth of Christ (and John the Baptist). His response to angel's news is one of disbelief, even though earlier in the chapter Zechariah is referred to as "righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord." (Luke 1:6) How could a righteous man answer the way he did? First, I encourage you to read today's article below because it has more insight than I can give! But I do want to focus on one thing about today's Scriptures. Notice what the subject of Zechariah's disbelief is! He doesn't flinch at the thought that his son will be filled with the Holy Spirit, will have influence in the world to turn to God, or that he will be the forerunner for the MESSIAH. Nope. Zechariah knows the prophecies and is faithful enough not to question that they would be fulfilled. Or maybe the first words of the angel stunned him into oblivion, causing him to miss those important predictions because Zechariah is most doubtful that God will cause Elizabeth to bear a child! When God hits close to home, suddenly Zechariah must believe in a message concerning him! To use a catch phrase from today, when it came to God working in his life, Zechariah was "sweating the small stuff"! It is a fitting consequence he receives for his momentary lapse of faith, don't you think? But he recovers quickly and even though he is temporarily mute, is the first person to convey to others the wonderful message about Christ. This story is the perfect illustration about what this second week of Advent is all about--preparation. The Lord sends His angel to prepare Zechariah for the fulfillment of this prophecy (rather than just springing it on him!) and Zechariah is unprepared to receive the news! There is a double message here for us. We must prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord (into our lives AND for His second coming!) with not only knowledge of Scriptures, but with open hearts and eyes so that we will recognize Him when He comes. AND recognize God working in our daily lives as well! Jesse Tree Verse: Genesis 37:1-36; Gen. 50:15-21 Symbol: Joseph's coat of many colors. Article/Devotion How Not to Talk to an Angel From DesiringGod.org This is a good article about the doubtful response of Zechariah and the believing response of tomorrow's focus, Mary, to the angel Gabriel. And, I like the title! Dinnertime (or anytime!) Discussion Sometimes we are able to see the "big picture" aspects of our faith much more clearly than the details that are so close to our own lives. It's easy to be like Zachariah and know that God is true and just and merciful, but when it comes to something close to our hearts, be too afraid to give our faith over to Him. It IS hard to believe sometimes. In Psalm 46, we read a familiar phrase: "Be still and know that I am God." How do you think that keeping still or silent can be good in your relationship with Christ? Word to Know Do you remember our word from yesterday? I hope so! It was "messenger" and that is what today's word, "angel" means in both Latin and Greek! Angel From Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. This is a slightly long entry, but read it when you have time. Very interesting! Book Suggestion Bright Christmas: An Angel Remembers by Andrew Clements. The Christmas story from an angel's point of view! Advent Extras Art Abbott Handerson Thayer was a 19th century American painter. He studied in Paris at the famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts and returned to America in 1879 where he took up portrait painting. But as his wife became depressed and ill with tuberculosis, his focus and motivation changed. He began to read the poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson and translated the transcendental concept of an ideal world that lies beyond this one into his work. Thayer painted his own three children as classically styled angels like the ones on this page. The painting here, called "Angel" is his most famous. It is his oldest daughter, Mary. Because of the melancholy atmosphere at home, particularly after his wife's death, Thayer also painted women with thoughtful and sometimes mournful expressions. But in 1901, Thayer and his children moved to New Hampshire and new subject material inspired him. Abbott Thayer, understandably, became somewhat reclusive and eccentric after his wife passed away. But he always stayed connected to the world of art. He and his children kept many pets and often slept outdoors to be surrounded by nature, so landscapes, flowers and eventually animals became the subject of his work. He was particularly fascinated with the camouflage abilities of creatures like frogs, lizards and birds. He was so captivated that he wrote several pieces and a book called Concealing--Coloration in the Animal Kingdom which influenced the use of camouflage by soldiers in World War I! Here is an exhibit from the Smithsonian American Art Museum: Abbott Handerson Thayer (We can't seem to escape the nude in art, can we? LOL When you go to the paintings, the second slide after the intro is a muted nude you may want to click past quickly. ;o) About Thayer & the Exhibition Abbott Handerson Thayer--The Athenaeum A small but very nice representative collection of his portraits and a few others. The Camouflage Paintings of Thayer Here is an excellent article summarizing Thayer's interest and theories about animal camouflage in nature and its relation to art. (He was a staunch Darwinist, by the way.) Christmas Carol or Hymn Angels We Have Heard on High The author of this wonderful Christmas song is unknown. The first people remembered to have sung "Angels We Have Heard on High" were the French of the 19th century. The use of Latin in the song's chorus gives the assumption that perhaps it was a Catholic monk or priest who was knowledgeable in both the Scriptures and the Latin language. And its chant-like melody gives us a hint that perhaps a monk wrote the tune. But if this was a chant, it was more joyous than most ever sung those many years ago! Many mysteries surround the carol, though. It is attributed to the French, but there is historical evidence that at least portions of the song were sung in early Christian churches before Rome declared Christianity the state religion. It's chorus, "Gloria in excelsis Deo" means "Glory to God in the highest" and was a phrase commonly used in church masses from as early as 130 A.D. Pope Telesphorus at that time issued a decree that on the Lord's birthday, churches should hold special evening services with "Gloria in excelsis Deo" sung at the end of prayers or Scripture readings. The truth is that we may never know just how old this Christmas song is, but what is important is its simple but joyous message about the birth of Jesus. Holiday Tradition & History Mistletoe The mistletoe plant is called a "hemiparasite", or partial parasite. It is extremely hardy and can grow along other trees and plants, sending a root into the host tree to take up nutrients! The mistletoe can live with little, if any, soil and little water, too. But, if it needs to, a mistletoe plant can produce its own food through photosynthesis like other plants. There are two main varieties of mistletoe. One grows along the east coast from New Jersey down to Florida. The other type grows in Europe and has small yellow flowers and poisonous white berries. Early European folklore has many legends of the mysterious mistletoe plant. It was considered magical and life-giving by ancient peoples like the Celtic Druids. During their winter solstice rituals, mistletoe branches from the previous year were replaced and the old ones burned and carried around as many crop fields as possible to ensure a good harvest. In another legend, a branch of mistletoe placed over a baby's cradle would protect the child from being kidnapped! Greeks believed that mistletoe contained magical powers and was part of many pagan customs. In the Middle Ages and even later, mistletoe was hung in doorways and windows to ward off evil spirits. Kissing under the mistletoe may have its beginnings in Greek customs and marriage rites because mistletoe was considered a sign of long life and fertility. Scandinavians thought of the mistletoe as a plant of peace and warring enemies could form a truce under its branches--or, angry husbands and wives could "kiss and make up" underneath it! In the eighteenth century, the English are credited with forming a "kissing ball" of mistletoe. The custom goes that any unmarried young lady standing under the mistletoe ball cannot refuse a kiss at Christmas. BUT, if she does, she can expect to remain single for the next year! Later, to avoid the kissing getting out of control, the practice of limiting the kisses to one per mistletoe berry was adopted to help maintain some dignity. In some parts of England, boughs of mistletoe are burned so that all the boys and girls who have kissed under them will be free to marry. And, of course, if a couple in love kisses under the mistletoe, it's guaranteed that they will be married. There are many interesting (and bizarre!) legends surrounding the famous mistletoe plant, many more than I've listed here! Although this custom has its roots in paganism, Christianity has translated the symbol of the mistletoe into a way to share love and goodwill during the Christmas season. But for centuries mistletoe was forbidden to be placed inside churches because of its relationship to pagan rituals. Now, mistletoe is seen to represent the truest love of all, that of Christ, and the love we should share with our neighbor. And, whether or not the mistletoe truly has medicinal healing powers, it can stand for the Great Healer and the Giver of Life. Or, you can simply thank God for your family members and give each of them a big smooch under the mistletoe this Christmas!! Hehe! 'Round the World at Christmas The Voices of Christmas Listen to audio files of people from around the world wishing Christmas greetings! Some are more clear than others, but this is very neat! How Merry Christmas is Said Around the World Even if you don't get the pronunciations right, it's interesting to see how different the languages of the world are. Coloring Pages, Cooking and Crafts Today our theme is, of course, angels!! Safety Pin Angel For older children. This makes a beautiful ornament but takes a little time. Glittery Angel Ornament This looks like a much more complicated craft than it is! Just wrap string dipped in glue around an angel shape and sprinkle with LOTS of glitter! Coffee Filter Angel Paper Plate Angel Craft With a few quick cuts and some decoration, you can make this easy angel. Light Bulb Angel Here is a way to recycle those burned out light bulbs! See the snowman version, too! Granny Square Angel For all of you crochet fans! Jean Pocket Angel This is a neat idea! Angel Crafts from Craftown.com An angel is one of the easiest things to make for Christmas crafts! You can find a way to use just about anything. Some more materials you can use for an angel are: -Large tassels (the "knot" can be her face, the tassel is her skirt and add wings/halo). -Clothespins (make a skirt from a paper or cloth doily and add a face/wings). -Toilet paper tubes make an easy angel for little ones to make. Trace your child's hands on white paper, cut them out and glue on as wings. Draw on a face and add white tissue paper for a skirt! -Cover a wooden bead with a pretty cloth doily and tie around the bead with ribbon to make a head. Then, tie a smaller doily that you pinch in the middle (to make wings fan out on each side), on the back of the angel with the ribbon that is hanging there. Make a halo and and you have a pretty angel! Angel Whispers Cookie Recipe 1 cup butter 1/2 cup powder sugar 2 cups flour 1 tsp. lemon 1/2 tsp. salt Cream butter, add sugar. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Chill. Flatten 1 tsp. dough on cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until brown. Filling: 1 egg slightly beaten 2/3 cup. sugar grated rind of one lemon 3T. lemon juice 1 1/2 T. butter Blend in double boiler, stirring until thick. Place small amount between two cookies. Christmas Fun! MaMaMedia's Winter Sports Games These are for elementary age and up. Home Holiday Preparations Today's Tips: *Be sure that you remember to buy candy or other small edibles, small toys or useful items, etc. for people's stockings! This is one thing I always forget to leave a little room for in our holiday budget. *Buy/make, sign and mail any invitations that need to go out if you are hosting a party. *As Christmas cards start rolling in at your house, be sure that you have someplace to display or store them! I used to hang thick strands of ribbon from the top to bottom of our front door (inside) and just staple cards down the ribbon as they arrived. Movie Time It Came Upon the Midnight Clear with Mickey Rooney (1984 TV movie). From Internet Movie DataBase: Mickey Rooney plays Mike Halligan, a retired cop from Manhattan living in California with his family who decides to show his grandson, who has never seen snow before, what a real white Christmas in New York is like. But he dies from a sudden heart attack in which Halligan makes a deal with the Archangel of Heaven to return to Earth for a week until Christmas and show his grandson the seasonal glories of New York City. Home | Contact teachingmom 3.0    ©2003-2007 teachingmom.com All rights reserved. *Copies for personal home use permitted, however no part of the TeachingMOM Advent Calendar may be reproduced on the web or sold in any format. Permissions were personally granted, as necessary, for the use of images, articles, and book excerpts found within this portion of our website. Thank you.