advent 1: the jesse tree

observing the season of advent in the lead up to christmas day helps me, and this year my family as well, to remember and mull over what it is we're really celebrating at christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and King, who came to make peace between God and this broken world. someone at church pointed out recently that taking the time to observe advent keeps them from heaping all their expectations for christmas meaningful-ness onto christmas day - a day that can often be busy and tiring, as well as enjoyable.

one kid-friendly way that we're going to wander through advent this year is by making a "jesse tree." it is named for jesse, the father of king david, the human king who pointed forward to Jesus in many ways. in particular, the name and idea come from isaiah 11, which begins:

'a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit...'

(that shoot is Jesus, and the chapter goes on to describe what kind of king Jesus will be and what life will be like under his kingship.)

the idea of a jesse tree is that you walk chronologically through the old testament of the bible, from adam through to Jesus, focusing on one person a day and considering how they point forward to Jesus. each person is represented by a symbol (eg. noah's symbol is a rainbow) and their significance expressed in a relevant bible passage. your symbols and tree can look however you want them to - i've just drawn some little cartoon pictures onto cardboard circles this year, which we will hang on some sticks from our yard (classy, i know). we will read our bible passages from a children's bible, and focus just on the person and their story. when the girls are older, we can begin to talk about the ways each person's story points forward to Jesus, but for now that will be something just for me to ponder as i pace the driveway with little sister in the pram.

:: in other news, happy 6 month birthday, little sister! and big sister is currently running around wearing big girl undies, wiping dolly's bottom with toilet paper and hoping to earn the first sticker for her potty training poster. ::