Advent Newbie
Brother Maynard at “Subversive Influence” is “Advent Blogging” this year. Scot McKnight at “Jesus Creed” is also blogging through Advent season. Also, the topic of this month’s synchroblog is “Redeeming the Season” – not necessarily the “Christmas” season, but something to do with December.
I’ve been thinking about Christmas, Advent, and the Incarnation over the last few days. To be honest, I don’t know much about Advent, so I guess I’m an Advent newbie (But, I’m not an “Advent virgin” like grace… sorry, grace, but your secret is out now.) When Margaret and I were first married, we did one of the Advent readings on Sunday morning. I honestly don’t remember anything about it. We read something from a slip of paper and lit a candle – it was obviously a very moving experience for us.
I know that Advent has to do with waiting… anticipating… expecting… hoping. I would love to examine these expectancy themes, and I’m thinking about examining them in four time frames: the time of the prophets, the time of Jesus, current time, and eschatologically – end times. It seems that hope and expectancy – could we say, “faith” – plays a huge role in all of those time frames. Perhaps studying Advent from those different perspectives could help us understand the incarnation and its implications today. Advent begins Sunday, so I will probably post Advent posts each of the four Advent Sundays: 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, and 12/23. The synchroblog “Redeeming the Season” will be 12/12. Then, I plan to publish a final post about the incarnation on Christmas Day.
Anyway, this is a different kind of post. I mainly wanted to begin thinking (out loud – to match my silent thinking) through some of these Advent and Incarnation issues. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Advent and my possible study.
Alan,
I am looking forward to you tackling Advent. I am someone who finds the idea of a “Christian calendar” quite puzzling, only in that I don’t see anything in the Bible about following an order of celebrations.
That said I know the calendar means a lot and helps a lot of people. Also the culture in which we live, although not Christian, practically tells me to celebrate Christmas and Easter! Rather than vomit fundamentalism over them, I engage as it is a way of keeping the Gospel before them.
I am by no means an Advent newby or virgin!! But rather a done to death by the instituational approach, sorry if that sets an interesting chalenge!! Not at all, if it is about our faith it is worth hearing!
Richard
Alan,
I’m glad that I won’t be the only one participating who is inexperienced in celebrating advent. It seems that there are entire sections of the church who do and don’t celebrate advent, or perhaps it is a family tradition for some.
If I had known I wasn’t the only one unfamiliar with Advent, I wouldn’t have begged off…was afraid I would be in way over my head.
Now I’ll have to rethink that decision.
Richard,
Thanks for the encouragement. I’m purposefully staying away from other people’s thoughts concerning Advent until after my first post is complete. It is taking me longer than normal to write this first post for a variety of reasons. Instead of focussing on traditional liturgies, prayers, and songs concerning Advent, I’m focussing on the concept of hope and waiting and expectancy. I hope this will be as beneficial to my readers as it is for me.
grace,
I should have said this in my post, but it was your confession of being an “advent virgin” that persuaded me to blog through advent. So, thank you… I think.
Erin,
I’m probably dealing with Advent differently than others – I don’t know because I haven’t read what they’re saying yet. So, I hope that you do take part.
-Alan