Our Advent - the Jesse Tree

We started doing Advent readings as a family last year. We found it such a great way to as a family carve out quiet time in which we could focus on the coming of Christ. We knew we wanted to continue the tradition but I wanted to find some way to do Advent readings that would be more interactive for the boys.
I had heard and read about the concept of a Jesse tree and after finding out that one of my favorite blog authors had written a Jesse tree devotional I decided we should try it. I must say, it has been a blessing to us.

What is a Jesse Tree?
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, and the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. - Isaiah 11:1-2
The name comes from the verse, the idea being that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy. As we walk through the waiting of Advent we read stories from the Old Testament that point to the coming of Christ. Following the history of the Bible shows us the need for the Savior. The world's need for redemption as well as our own.

How we do our Jesse Tree.
There are many ways to do a Jesse tree. There are many different devotionals. I chose The Glorious Coming: A Jesse Tree Advent Celebration by Ann Voskamp because I liked the writing style (reminds me of Walter Wangerin & Frederick Buechner, favorites from my growing years) and because the e-book came with print outs for the tree ornaments. Some families make and/or collect ornaments to match the stories but I liked the idea of the boys having an ornament to color while we read the devotional. You don't even actually have to have a real tree - you can use paper on the wall or even a dead branch from outside.

Our devotional time is simple and relatively short. The light in the dining room is already dimmed because we eat mostly by candle light and the light from the tree. The boys each color an ornament while Aaron reads the scripture and short devotional. They then hang the ornament on the tree and get their piece of candy out of our Advent calendar. As they munch we look at the ornaments already hung and talk about the stories. We try to finish with a Christmas hymn (Jeremiah likes O Come, O Come Emmanuel and Nathaniel likes Angels We Have Heard On High for the "glo-o-o-o-ria, in excelcies deo" part).

What I like
The scope of Biblical redemptive history- I love that we are reading the familiar stories in the Bible with our eyes on Jesus. God had a plan for the world's salvation and glimpses of promises and grace shine throughout the Bible. To be considering this faithfulness and love during Advent is amazing. I think this walk through the Bible can help the boys string together the stories they learn in Sunday school and is another tool for teaching that the Bible is not just a book of tall tales or moral fables but it is the true story of God's redemptive work.

The physical & visual reminder - I love that there is a separate tree in our house designated for this remembering. Throughout the day we see with our eyes the reminders of God's love and faithfulness. I can talk about different ornaments with the boys throughout the day. They can walk up to the tree and finger and marvel. I kept this tree simple with hand strung cranberry garland. I added nativity ornaments that I found and more ornaments are added every night. My idea is that this is a tree the boys can touch.
The other part of the physical and visual reminder that I did not consider initially was that others coming into our home will see it and question us about it. This gives the boys (and us) an opportunity to give a brief explanation and even presentation of the gospel. It is like a small "altar" in our home. It's very presence speaks to what we want to remember as the truth of Christmas.

Creativity & Interaction - Right now the creativity is simple crayons and printed ornaments. But I can see possibilities for more creativity as the boys grow. I like that we interact over the ornaments, tree, and stories. We color and hang. We talk and ponder.

The Jesse Tree is a good way for our family to mark Advent. It works for us with small children (no fire, smile) and provides a good way for us as a family to focus on Christ in a very thoughtful way during this season that can so easily become busy, stressful, materialistic, and self-centered.