Advent Art Devotions for Families (with Readings!)

Advent is a time of waiting.

While life rushes around us at break-neck speed attempting to get in all the things we “need” to do to have a magical holiday, Advent quietly reminds us that the busyness, the rushing, the shopping, the chores, all of it, are not how it’s supposed to be. Advent beckons us to a simpler way. Advent asks us to pause. To be quiet. To listen. To wait.

We take it for granted that the Messiah has already come. His human story here on earth has been told, and we know it by heart. There is no anticipation of something that will happen because it is already past. And because of this, we lose sight of the wonder of Advent. But those who came before us watched and waited for hundreds of years for the Messiah. The deliverer. The one who would save them. And the Nativity was all the more amazing for what they finally received: God in infant form.

Advent is about anticipating God being with us. God coming to earth to save us. The manifestation of God in human form. Each week during Advent, we pause to contemplate the mysteries of this sacred event. The wonder of the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present God of the universe stepping down from his holy throne to be with us. To be one of us and yet not like us. To save us. To love us.

Art can have a way of allowing us to pause and be silent. To notice details and immerse ourselves in a story. To make that story ours. For this reason, I’m excited to announce today that Volume VI of the Advent Art Devotions and Art Prints I’ve offered the last five years is now available!

To give you a little background, I had the desire for several years to put together something that would allow me to incorporate visual art into our yearly Advent season. In the past, our homeschool co-op picked an extra print from one of our picture study artists with a holiday-related subject, and I enjoyed having these pieces to display over the holidays. So much beautiful Christmas-related art is available from well-known and obscure artists. I thought it would be nice to curate a few pieces along with Bible verses, hymns, and poetry that we could use to pause during the season of Advent and truly contemplate the meaning of this season. In 2019, I finally put together a little devotional guide, and I was happy to be able to offer it as a product on my website as well.

I had such a positive response to the guide the first year (the prints sold out in less than two days!) that I decided I wanted to make this an annual tradition. So, this year, I’m offering a new selection of art, hymns, and poetry!

These guides differ from the Picture Study Aids in that I have not included information about the paintings themselves or artist biographies. My vision for adding art into our Advent traditions was not to include more academic opportunities but rather more possibilities for contemplation and meditation during a season that tends to be overwhelming with busyness and distractions.

Also, as with previous years, the art, hymns, and poems differ from last year, but the Bible passages are the same.

You can find this year’s version at the link below, or if you missed out on the first two years, they can be found here. I hope these Advent art devotions allow you to pause and contemplate the true wonder of the season. To anticipate the sacred and divine arrival of God with us.

(If the form doesn’t load for you, you can also sign up here!)