Stir up Sunday (Prepare for Advent)

Today is Stir Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent. This is the traditional day in Britain to make the Christmas pudding, and set it aside for Christmas Day so the flavors have a month to develop.

But I'm not making a pudding this year, for several reasons that all make me sad.

Instead, I plan to use this day to center myself for a holiday that will be different: I want to stir up my feelings about tradition, expectation, love, and family, and come to terms with a low key quarantine holiday season. 

And I want to prepare myself for an advent that will be perhaps a little sad, but in many ways deep and satisfying. Advent is a time of expectant waiting - for grace, and the joy of the returning Light - and this week I will actively prepare to wait.

Agenda for today:
1- Journal queries

2- Prayer
3- Collect greens

4- Plan a Christmas card

1- Journal queries:

How can I generate joy and togetherness while also respecting health protocols?

What creative ways can we be together this year?

What are the positive themes I want to focus on this year?

What are some traditions I can modify?

2- Prayer:
The name "Stir Up Sunday" comes from the Church of England collect for this day: A collect is a short prayer, which “collects” or sums up the thoughts of the day and season.

The collect for this Sunday is: “Stir up, we beseech thee, O God, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded.” 

This prayer was parodied: "Stir up, we beseech thee, the pudding in the pot. And when we do get home tonight, we'll eat it up hot."

My prayer today is: Stir up, I beg thee, my sluggish soul, and wake me up to the wonder and joy of the season of Thanksgiving and Advent.

3- Collect greens:

Each year before Advent starts I collect greens from around the neighborhood to make an advent wreath. This week I've picked up many storm dropped branches, including a large Grand Fir branch from an alley.