Advent Scripture Reading Guide

Advent and the start of the Christian calendar begins on Sunday, November 27. I love the Christian calendar! It enables us to re-tell, re-live, and re-enter the Jesus Story — from the crowded stable to the empty tomb. We are a peculiar people and we have a peculiar calendar. We live in a secular world but we belong to a sacred story. And so we have two calendars — one secular, one sacred. What we want is to be formed by the Gospel Story. And the Gospel is a story! The Gospel is not a plan or theory or philosophy or ideology — it is a story! The story of Jesus of Nazareth. This is the story told in the Christian calendar: Advent (waiting for Christ), Christmas (the twelve day celebration of Jesus’ birth), Epiphany (the revelation of Christ to the Gentile magi), Lent (the journey to the cross), Holy Week, (Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday), Easter (Resurrection!), Pentecost (the birth of the church). Then it’s Ordinary Time until we return to Advent.

To help you observe Advent in a richer, more meaningful way, I have put together an Advent Scripture Reading Guide. It comes (mostly) from the second half of Isaiah and the synoptic gospels up to the Transfiguration. It consists of one chapter from Isaiah and one chapter from the Gospels each day (with two chapters from the Gospels on Sundays). So re-enter and re-live the mystery of the Gospel story through this Advent Scripture Reading Guide. (Pass it on to others!)

Happy Holy Days,

BZ

November

27 — Isaiah 40 & Matthew 1-2

28 — Isaiah 41 & Matthew 3

29 — Isaiah 42 & Matthew 4

30 — Isaiah 43 & Matthew 5

December

1 — Isaiah 44 & Matthew 6

2 — Isaiah 45 & Matthew 7

3 — Isaiah 46 & Matthew 8

4 — Isaiah 47 & Matthew 9-10

5 — Isaiah 48 & Matthew 11

6 — Isaiah 49 & Matthew 12

7 — Isaiah 50 & Matthew 13

8 — Isaiah 51 & Matthew 14

9 — Isaiah 52 & Matthew 15

10 — Isaiah 53 & Matthew 16

11 — Isaiah 54 & Mark 1-2

12 — Isaiah 55 & Mark 3

13 — Isaiah 56 & Mark 4

14 — Isaiah 57 & Mark 5

15 — Isaiah 58 & Mark 6

16 — Isaiah 59 & Mark 7

17 — Isaiah 60 & Mark 8

18 — Isaiah 61 & Luke 1-2

19 — Isaiah 62 & Luke 3-4

20 — Isaiah 63 & Luke 5

21 — Isaiah 64 & Luke 6

22 — Isaiah 65 & Luke 7

23 — Isaiah 66 & Luke 8

Christmas Eve — Isaiah 9:1-7 & Luke 2:1-20

Christmas Day — Isaiah 11:1-9 & Matthew 2:1-12