JAN RAMSEY
ALISA CLARK
This is week one, and I ponder Jesus as a gift to us during the Christmas season: hence the gift tag. At the same time, I ponder what’s “trite” about the season: ugly Christmas sweaters, funny Santa hats, gift wrap, bows, decorations, gift tags, and holiday fun. I also consider that God might be good with all of these “trite” things. Maybe God appreciates joy for humans as they celebrate with each other and find happiness in simple, little, “trite” things. Still, I want to remember the profoundness in this Christmas season and remember there is a deep rich meaning in this holiday. I will still find joy in the “trite,” but I choose to look deeper. — Alisa
For the second week of Advent I added a gift tag to Jesus on the cross. I’m thinking about Jesus as a gift to us during the Christmas season: hence the gift tag. At the same time, I ponder what’s “trite” about the season: ugly Christmas sweaters, funny Santa hats, gift wrap, bows, decorations, gift tags, and holiday fun. I also consider that God might be good with all of these “trite” things. Maybe God appreciates joy for humans as they celebrate with each other and find happiness in simple, little, “trite” things. Still, I want to remember the profoundness in this Christmas season and remember there is a deep rich meaning in this holiday. I will still find joy in the “trite,” but I choose to look deeper.
For the second week of Advent, I added an angel to it: my symbol for the quiet messages, holy interruptions, and gentle “do not be afraid” moments that angels announce and represent for me during this season of reflection. This is my personal lighting of the second candle. For the third week of Advent, I added a pink candle to my Advent Calendar Assemblage. Traditionally lit on Gaudete Sunday, the pink candle marks a shift from “waiting for joy” to “joy among us.” It reminds me that even in the midst of anticipation, joy is already present. This small flame points me to the gift of Christmas to come.
For the third week of Advent, I added a pink candle to my Advent Calendar Assemblage. Traditionally lit on Gaudete Sunday, the pink candle marks a shift from”waiting for joy” to “joy among us.” It reminds me that even in the midst of anticipation, joy is already present. This small flame points me to the gift of Christmas to come.
For the fourth week of Advent, I added bells and a small red bird to my Advent Calendar Assemblage. The bird stands in for the partridge—a ground-nesting bird, always exposed and vulnerable. In that way, it mirrors the mystery of Christ, who came to earth not in power or spectacle, but as an infant, choosing fragility over force. The bells speak of joy breaking through the quiet waiting. It reminds me to listen more closely this season. Together, these two symbols echo the joy and wonder I find at Christmas.
For Christmas Day, I added a horn and red flowers to the Advent Calendar Assemblage. The horn is a symbol of announcement and proclamation—good news made audible. The red flowers speak of life that arrives through sacrifice. Together, they mark the moment when waiting ends and holy breaks into the ordinary. Hope is anew! Merry Christmas!
