Asgardian Advent

6 HIMs posting in the cool crisp gloom at Asgard with concerned looks as the pax assessed the field and saw cones in place, wondering what concoction of a beatdown YHC had put together this time.  YHC pulled out an oldie, but a goodie (well at least in his estimation).  It was time for the pax to go deep into the meaning of Advent- preparing the way for the Lord’s coming. 

COP

• SSH x20 IC
• Goofballs x20 IC
• Imperial Walkers x10 IC
• Don Quixote x10 IC
• Reach throughs x10 IC
• Merkins x10 IC
• Squats x10 IC
• BBSU x20 OYO

The Thang

For Christians, this technically isn’t “Christmas” time, rather it is the season of Advent- a time to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ Jesus.  Today, YHC infused a little of the 3^rd F into our 1^st F with a little lesson on the season of Advent.  Pax found out that some lessons can be painful.  

• ADVENT: partner 1 runs to far cone and back while partner 2 exercises then switch (modification: walk with coupon to middle cone). Cumulative reps of:

• • A- Aussie Burpees x50 reps
  • D- Dips x100 reps
  • V-Van Goghda x150 reps (count each leg)
  • E- E2K x200 reps
  • N- Newton’s Cradle x250 reps (crowd pleaser #1)
  • T- Thigh master x300 reps

To spice things up this year, YHC added 25 SSH EMOM.  This was quicky adjusted to EMO5M as YHC sensed a revolt was about to occur.

• Advent Wreath (4 corners)– Starting at Cone 1, representing the first week of Advent, Pax member read what each candle of the Advent wreath meant. Pax then moseyed cone to cone performing 25 reps of an exercise for a total of 100 reps.
  • 1^st Week of Advent: Diamond Merkins (crowd pleaser #2)
  • 2^nd Week of Advent: Squats
  • 3^rd Week of Advent: LBCs
  • 4^th Week of Advent: Smurf Jacks

COT

For Christians, Advent is a time of preparation.  When we anticipate an important guest, we spend time prior to his or her arrival cleaning our house of clutter.  The color purple symbolizes repentance as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus the Christ by cleansing ourselves of anything that may be hindering our path to our Savior.  The rose color of the 3^rd week of Advent represents Joy, as the anticipation of the coming of the child Jesus draws ever so near.  Some wreaths have a white candle that symbolizes Christ and the light that he brought into the world.  For those interested, I included the scripture readings at each cone below.

YHC spoke about how in the rat race of society, there is so much hustle and bustle to get to the next event, when it gets here (and often even before it gets here), it’s on to the “next thing”.  Advent is a season of preparation.  Christmas is a season (for Catholics this lasts through the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord which is typically the third Sunday after Christmas), so the celebration of Christ’s arrival is “extended”.   In life, whether it be at home or at work, if all we do is work to complete tasks and move on to the next thing, without taking time to celebrate or appreciate achievements, no matter how big or small, we will never feel accomplished.  We will live life like a rat on a wheel and going no where.      

BOM

Prayers for:

• Continued prayers for Ian and the Bailey family
• DNR’s M, Betsey, for continued recovery from pancreatic transplant surgery
• Mello’s  M, Silvia, for perseverance due to the success of her business  
• Pax on IR
• YHC’s 2.1 who is taking the SATs today
• Lord’s Prayer and Pledge

Advent candles and their meaning

1^st Week of Advent:

• Candle Name: Prophet’s Candle
• Candle Symbolizes: Hope
• Reminds us: Jesus is coming
• Bible Verse: Romans 15:12-13
  • 12 Again Isaiah says,“There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2^nd Week of Advent:

• Candle Name: Bethlehem Candle
• Candle Symbolizes: Faith
• Reminds us: Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem
• Bible Verse: Luke 3: 3-6
  • ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: 
    • “The voice of one calling ^[a]out in the wilderness,
      ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
      Make His paths straight!
      ⁵ Every ravine will be filled,
      And every mountain and hill will be lowered;
      The crooked will become straight,
      And the rough roads smooth;
      ⁶ And all ^[b]flesh will see the salvation of God!’”

3^rd Week of Advent:

• Candle Name: Shepherd’s Candle
• Candle Symbolizes: Joy
• Reminds us: The joy the world experienced at the coming birth of Jesus
• Bible Verse: Luke 2: 7-15   
  • ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a ^[a]manger, because there was no ^[b]room for them in the inn.

⁸ In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night.⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is ^[c]Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a ^[d]manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly ^[e]army of angels praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among people ^[f]with whom He is pleased.”

¹⁵ When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

4^th Week of Advent:

• Candle Name: Angel’s Candle
• Candle Symbolizes: Peace
• Reminds us: The message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men”
• Bible Verse: John 3: 16-17
  • ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.