Advent Through The Ages

In our community liturgy is not a particular focus of attention. Some days I long for the rituals and traditions that I imagine “the church” holds so deftly to its collective bosom - the Hallmark movie version. In reality, I sigh with the deep, long sigh of an old pastor who would need to attend to such things as candles of a particular color, lit on a particular Sunday. In the real world, other things seem so much more important. Do we have enough egg casseroles to feed our brothers from The Healing Place (a local ministry for men in recovery who attend our Sunday services)? Did the stranger in our midst receive a warm greeting? Can I remember that not everyone knows the enneagram, so don’t go talking numbers!

In the middle of the pandemic-with-no-end-in-sight, I have a compulsive desire to experience ritual and tradition. My longings have gotten me thinking. How did this advent tradition get started in the first place? Why does it tug at my heartstrings? And...is it possible to experience the meaning of advent even in the middle of a pandemic? In the baptist church our family (hubby, kids and I) grew up attending, Advent was celebrated the four Sundays before Christmas. It served as a sort of pre-party preparation in anticipation of Christ’s birth. I assumed that this was a convenient way to make sure we got all the best Christmas hymns in so as to avoid complaints from the congregation.

In fact, Advent began as a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany. This was way back, during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul. These 40 days were spent in prayer, repentance and fasting. Originally, there was little connection to Advent and Christmas. (Does this mean the Hallmark movies are….wrong?)

By the 6th century, the link had been made and Advent became linked to the coming of Christ. But these folks were not talking about Jesus’ birthday. They were thinking about his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. (Naughty? Nice?)

Finally, in the Middle Ages, Advent became explicitly associated with Christ’s first coming at Christmas. Over the course of history, even our rituals and traditions gradually change. I mean, look at this timeline - how did we get from there to here? These are not simply stylistic changes! This is an example of how the very meaning for them morphs over time.

What traditions, rituals, and expectations have you held onto about the upcoming holiday season? This is gonna be a tough year for anyone who has tied their joy to “the ways things always were”. This year is gonna be weird. How can we make it weirdly wonderful? If you’d like to join us, in a couple of days I am going to suggest each family light one candle each night to commemorate the Advent Season. (Grab purple, pink and finally a white candle if you want to be technically color-coordinated!)