The Fishers in La Paz, Bolivia

Residents of La Paz seem to be new to many of the traditions we Northern Christians have taken for granted for years.

Take Advent, the wonderful time of preparation for Christmas. Frankly, many Bolivian Christians – even traditionally liturgical Christians, such as some of those in the Anglican church we attend – have never heard of it. So, being the liturgically-minded and generous folks that we are, Anne and I have taken the opportunity to share about this blessed and historic season in Christian life.

I have written more extensively about this topic on my other blog, http://blendedworship.wordpress.com, but for now, I’d like to share a fun little aspect of the whole situation. Well, we made this Advent wreath. Made, because they are not to be found anywhere. Thankfully, fake greenery and cheap candles are available in abundance. Actually, we did find a regular wreath and did some ugly-ornament-amputation surgery, stuck the candles in and – viola! – Advent wreath, made with love and great rejoicing.

So, anyway, we have this lovely Advent wreath, all ready for our Advent-season family devotions, around which Avery, Anne and I will light the candles of promise, light, love, hope and – finally, just before we leave for the States for Christmas, the Christ candle! – and recount the great Old Testament promises fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

But then, we realize, maybe this wreath could be helpful in preparing our students at Highlands School for Christmas this year. So, we pack up the wreath in a ridiculously large shopping bag, and cart it off to school for the first of three Advent chapels (we’ll be off school for Advent week 4).

Then, we realize, the Advent wreath would be a beautiful and educational addition to the school’s annual Christmas program, so it will be packed up again and carted off to the local church in which we will have that program this Thursday.

Finally, the couple who is running the English-Speaking service in the Anglican church in which we worship has asked for help with introducing Advent – introducing Advent in an Anglican church! Wow! – to the congregation. So, with much love, the now extremely helpful, if ungainly, wreath makes yet another weekly trip today, the first Sunday of Advent.

I bet no Advent wreath in all of North or South America gets as much action as does our blessed bit of fake greenery with white candles shoved in it. Amen.