ADVENT COUNTDOWN 3

Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes,

the Saviour promised long;

let every heart prepare a throne

and every voice a song.

He comes the broken heart to bind,

the bleeding soul to cure,

and with the treasures of his grace

to enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,

your welcome shall proclaim,

and heaven’s exalted arches

ring with your beloved name.

—Philip Doddridge, “The Prince of Peace.”

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[The word "Advent" comes from the Latin adventus, which means "coming." In the Christian church Advent is that period of expectant waiting leading up to the Nativity of Jesus. Some prefer to think of it as a "Countdown to Christmas." If you've ever had an Advent calendar, you know that each day prior to Christmas has it own window, usually hidden behind a little flap or door, behind which is a scene or verse from the Scriptures. I thought it would be fun to take that idea and post a daily photo with a bit of text below—a stanza or two from a Christmaspoem or a few lines of prose from a favorite Christmas story. The photos aren't intended to be tied with the text. Some are just ones I meant to run with a post this past year, but for whatever reason, didn't. To set these posts apart from my regular—or irregular!—ones, I've given them a different typeface and look.]