In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. [Luke 1:5–7]

Luke’s Advent account begins with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth (the parents of John the Baptist). We are told about their religious heritage (descendants of Aaron), that they were both “righteous” in the sight of God (they lived faithfully, kept God’s Law, and cared for others), they were childless (not by choice), and they were very old. Quite a resumé for this elderly couple. They must have felt like they were approaching the ninth inning of their lives.

Not so fast. Their lives were about to change, big time! Because of God’s plans. Because of the coming of Christ.

It’s easy to feel stuck in a rut because of age or unfortunate limitations. Or that the exciting days of live and faith are all behind you.

Not so fast. What if God were to throw a major curve your way? If your life was about to become a story of God’s amazing power? A change, a miracle you never expected?!

Just asking.

The return of an old friend
For your reading Advent accompaniment: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” sung by the choir of King’s College, Cambridge

Some Advent stuff

Five things you didn’t know about the Christmas story
Interesting article. New. Smart. Devotional. That is what I would call this interview with biblical geographer Nicole Larue.

She intelligently talks about Advent-related themes like the Magi’s arrival, the path Joseph and Mary took from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and the season when Jesus most likely was born. Her words were helpful to me as I prepared for last Sunday’s message on Bethlehem.

Many different nations have very country-specific traditions for practicing Advent
For example, in Hungary a daily Mass or church service is held every dawn from the first Sunday of Advent to the first day of Christmas. The Hungarians love to bake and eat their Advent treat called beigli, a rolled bread traditionally filled with poppy seeds or walnuts.

In the United Kingdom, Christingles services are held. (A Christingle is made from an orange and is decorated with a candle, red tape, and sweets.) The special service might involve prayers, readings, and singing. It also serves as a fundraiser for children’s charities. It can be held at the start of Advent all the way to Candlemas, but Christmas Eve is a popular time to hold a service.

The leaders in Nazi Germany, on the other hand…
…banned printed Advent calendars because of the religious messaging. Officials instead produced state-approved versions featuring swastikas, tanks, and Nazi symbols while depicting family life under Nazi rule.

Say it ain’t so!
Word is that Italian pasta may soon disappear from American store shelves!

Italy’s biggest pasta exporters say import and antidumping duties totaling 107% on their pasta brands will make doing business in America too costly and are preparing to pull out of U.S. stores as soon as January. The tariffs are among the steepest for any product targeted by the Trump administration.

“It’s an incredibly important market for us,” said Giuseppe Ferro, La Molisana’s chief executive, whose family-run pasta factory is in Campobasso. “But no one has those kinds of margins.”

The U.S. Commerce Department has announced a 92% antidumping duty on pasta made in Italy by La Molisana and 12 other companies that import the bulk of pasta from Italy to the U.S. That is on top of the 15% tariff recently levied on imports from the EU.

Speaking of Italy…here come the Winter Olympics
The Olympic flame was lit in Greece last Wednesday in preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics (February 4–22).

When the flame reaches Italy this Thursday, it will begin a nearly 7,500-mile, 63-day relay to Milan’s San Siro Stadium for the February 6 opening ceremony. Here is a glimpse of the Olympic village.

My favorite Advent/Christmas movies
(We all have our favorite holiday movies. Mine include Home Alone and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. But I have listed below ones with a bit more of a Christian/spiritual emphasis to them. (Though certainly Cousin Eddie’s words are very meaningful: “Merry Christmas, Clark. Ain’t she a beaut?” And, of course, Clark’s “Surprised, Eddie? If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn’t be more surprised” is very heartwarming. 😊)

The Nativity Story
This is a delightful re-enactment of the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph from their home in Nazareth to their “hometown” of Bethlehem to register for the Roman census. Oscar Isaac and Keisha Castle-Hughes play the brave couple who make the 65-mile trek across tough terrain. And an appropriately conniving and evil Herod is played by Ciaran Hinds. The Nativity Story is pretty much appropriate for the entire family.

Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas)
This film tells the true story of the spontaneous Christmas Eve truce declared by Scottish, French, and German troops in the trenches of World War I. Enemies leave their weapons behind for one night as they band together in brotherhood and forget about the brutalities of war. From older teenagers on up, this movie would be appropriate.

A Christmas Carol
Last year Sue and I came across a superb older version of this story starring Alistair Sim that was released in 1951. Of course, A Christmas Carol is Charles Dickens’ classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption from a mean old grouch to a place of personal repentance and generosity. The story of the possibility of life change, of forgiveness, and of the moral responsibility to help those in need is never outdated.

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Sorry, couldn’t pass up this classic Peanuts Christmas movie. It actually has a lot of spiritual and biblical depth for a short film starring comic strip characters. In case you don’t know, Charlie Brown is struggling to find meaning during the Christmas season before finally shouting, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Linus speaks up and quotes verbatim the Advent story from Luke chapter 2.

The Star
Since we’re considering cartoons, this is a more recent one that I enjoyed with my granddaughter when it came out. The Star is a fun and funny and meaningful movie climaxing at the birth of Jesus. A lowly donkey named Bo is the main character. Bo and his friend, Dave the dove, dream of joining the royal parade. Bo ends up carrying a pregnant Mary with Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. Good storytelling filled with tension and ending nicely, right where you would think it would.

Our Tuesday Afternoon Advent prayer
“God of Love,
Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us.
He is a sign of your love.
Help us walk in that love during the weeks of Advent,
As we wait and prepare for his coming.
We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior.”