Advent's Wreathing Theology and Practice
I think you'll know what I mean when I say that for many people the primary focus of the season
of Advent is the Advent wreath! There are many reasons for this sad phenomenon, not the least
of which is a general lack of good teaching in our churches over many generations. True
enough, the Advent wreath is a beautiful, much-loved and useful symbol. Probably, it gets such
attention because it is primarily visual rather than "theological." But the result of that mindset is
that the wreath becomes little more than a countdown-to-Christmas. But Advent is so much
more than that! Too often Advent is reduced simply to a time to "get ready for Christmas." Of
course that is couched in the language of spiritual preparation but in reality that kind of
preparation has taken second place to having everything done in time. Moreover, Advent is not
about looking toward Christmas—not until the fourth Sunday, anyway.
The season of Advent has a complex 1,500-year history. To me, this is the most complex of all
of the Church seasons. That complexity is all the more difficult because it has to pack so much
into a relatively small span of time. In only four weeks, this season presents the "coming of
Christ" in terms of past, present, and future. The themes are themselves multi-layered and
interwoven from week to week. Clarity of focus is hard in all of that, and then we are faced with
the fact that the themes are varied in our three-year Scriptural cycle. Even so, it is possible to
sort it out in order to set your heart and mind aright for a deeper and richer sense of the season
than a "countdown."
The first theme of Advent is always the Second Coming of Christ (this is always the Scriptural
focus on the 1st Sunday). In fact. Advent is the primary time that the Church emphasized and
teaches the doctrine of the Second Coming.
Next, we find themes of our own waiting and preparation for Christ in our life and experience of
Him. This is done in the 2nd and 3rd Sundays, and John the Baptist makes his startling (and rather
unappealing!) appearance. Well, bummer—so far, not very "Christmasy." No, not at all.
Perhaps this is why so many people and places have allowed the secular Christmas shopping-and-social season to be translated into church. We are very much out of step with culture during
these weeks, and this seems to be just as hard for adults as for children!
Finally, on the 4th Sunday, we get to the focus and preparation for the birth of the Christ child.
The Gospel of that day concerns the annunciation of the miraculous conception of Jesus to Mary
and Joseph.
With all of that going on—and with the competing messages from our surrounding culture—we
really have to work to stay faithful to the messages of the Advent season. Keep in mind that our
liturgy during these weeks is intended to help you walk a pathway that will show you all that
Advent has to offer. Through worship you can find a discipline and focus in the appointed
Scriptures, the words of the hymns (no Christmas carols for the Second Coming or John the
Baptist!), the content of the prayers, and in the liturgy's own inwardness and restraint.
My hope and prayer is that we will all know this wondrous time for everything that it is. We will
not be confined merely to "getting ready for Christmas." We are preparing for CHRIST—who
was, and is, and is to come.
In Christ,
Shannon+
