An Advent Sampler and Memories of Sunday School

Although the church I grew up in didn't celebrate the Advent season in the same manner as those with liturgical traditions, December always shifted to a season of anticipating Jesus' birth. This was especially true in the children's Sunday School lessons during the month of December.

Sunday School has always had a very special place in my life, and several of my limited memories of living in Alaska are tied to Sunday School. To be honest, I really don't have a lot of memories of the specific things I learned given that I was not quite 4 years old when we left. I primarily remember church as being a special place and that I liked going to Sunday School. I remember having a little black purse in which I would carry a small red New Testament. I also remember going to some type of Christmas service and being able to walk up to the front and see baby Jesus in the manger. 

The fall of 1974 found me in Sunday School for the first time in over 3 years. From the summer of 1971 until our move to Corinne, Utah, in August 1974, we lived in a very remote area of Utah and did not have access to a church to attend regularly. Looking back now, that little 1st through 3rd grade Sunday School class has had a central influence on my life. As we entered the month of December, the lessons shifted to the Christmas story. I still remember the sense of wonder and amazement as I learned about the prophets who foretold Jesus coming. While the story of baby Jesus being born in Bethlehem was familiar, this aspect of the Christmas story had me in awe. I also remember the kindness of my teachers, a husband-wife team, and how each Sunday morning, they had a small Christmas craft for us to complete - nothing particularly fancy but a little something special as we came in the door each week of December.

Through the years, I've come to love the Advent-themed hymns even more. In this post, I'm sharing a sampler from my favorite stitching shop, Shepherd's Bush, in Ogden, Utah. This is a project that I began working on a number of years back and finished in 2021. Earlier this fall, I finally brought it in to be framed so that we could enjoy it this Christmas season. The hymn featured on this piece, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, reflects the message of the prophets for Emmanuel, God with Us, to come here to earth to walk among us. Here are a few additional close up pictures of this piece.

Wishing you all the best blessings of the Advent season as you prepare to celebrate the fulfillment of the message of the prophets. Here is what the prophet Isaiah foretold.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14