December First, Advent Thoughts

       The nearest Lutheran church is holding worship services every night this advent, one hour services, in contrast with the two-three hour ones on Sunday morning.  As we drive along the busy, hazy thoroughfare near the neighborhood church, small groups of people, Bibles and hymnals in hand, make their way, walking comfortably between evening rush traffic and bustling shops, to the church.
        Raghava, our driver, is putting up the Christmas star just now.  Indian Christians display one or two lighted stars of varied designs on their homes, churches, and sometimes village or neighborhood entrances, during Advent.  In days gone by, it was the task of young boys in the family to construct them of sticks and tissue paper.  Nowadays the stars are plastic, displayed, with lighting, in front of many stores in the markets.
       Someone in the neighborhood is getting married, judging from the sounds of a procession with horns and drums, coming this way.just now...it's 7:30 p.m.
       Little kids at Nirmal Hriday were fascinated by solving addition/subtraction problems using pebbles, instead of the common Indian method of just reciting, today....They evidently never did math in such a practical way, never knew numbers really 'meant' anything, before...Looks like they really got 'into' it.
       Have a look at the "Advent Conspiracy" video I just shared on Facebook (also available on YouTube).. It's a thought provoking one, worth sharing. Truly a way to get into the holiday spirit.  I hope/think you'll agree, processing toward your own holidays with all-the-more appropriate love and joy.
      p.s.  I think this is a link:

23 Nov 2009 ... YouTube- Advent Conspiracy Promo Video http://www.adventconspiracy.org/. 12/04/

2009. send to a friend; Facebook; Twitter; subscribe ...
www.wikio.com/video/advent-conspiracy-promo-video-597051