Advent Photo-A-Day

We all know there’s a little thrill in finding the appropriately numbered square cardboard door, peeling it back to reveal the world’s smallest chocolate Santa, and savoring the taste of mediocre chocolate for a few seconds – before we’re back to making lists and decorating the tree and wrapping gifts. But this year, Gettysburg Seminary invites you to mark the days of Advent a little differently. We invite you to look for God in the little things you do every day, and in the unique excitement of the holiday season. At home in the faces of family and friends, in shopping malls and grocery stores, in your faith communities, and beyond.

The word for each day comes from prayers written by members of the Gettysburg Seminary community as a part of our annual Advent Star Devotional. Scripture passages and prayers will be posted each day, or you may request your own Advent Star by calling 1-800-MLUTHER ext. 3011. As we watch and wait for the birth of our Savior, we pray that you will experience Advent through a new lens.

To receive reminders and see the posted daily prayers, like us on Facebook at Lutheran TheologicalSeminary at Gettysburg, and follow us at GettSem on Twitter and Instagram. And don't forget to include the #watchandwait hashtag!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I participate? Save the photo above to your phone, tablet, or computer, and each day, take a photo that corresponds to the prompt for that day. Post the photo to your own Facebook page, Instagram account, or Twitter feed, and include the prompt and the hashtag (for example, to caption for your photo on December 1 should include #anticipation and #watchandwait). There are no rules for what the photo must contain – it’s up to you. That’s all there is to it!

When is this happening? From December 1-25, 2013. The first day of Advent is also conveniently the first day of December, so the numbers match both the date of the month and the day of Advent!

How do I see the photos others have posted?  If you click on the #watchandwait hashtag on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you will be taken to a page that includes all posts containing that hashtag. You can also search for the word of the day or the hashtag on those social networks. We will be collecting all the photos we can on our Pinterest page, so you can browse them there too.

I’m super busy and a little forgetful. How can I remind myself to take a photo each day? We recommend saving the prompt to your phone and setting it as your lock screen. At the bottom of the post, there is a wallpaper version of the prompt (1136 x 640) to make scaling a bit easier.

What if I miss a day? That’s okay! You can play catch up by posting a few photos in one day, or you can simply move onto the next prompt – whatever works for you.

This one will work better if you are trying to set it as your lock screen on an iPhone 5: