The holiday season is officially upon us. I don't care for the hustle and bustle of getting and spending and shopping associated with the commercial aspect of the season, but I'm immensely grateful for the church season of Advent, which is my favorite of the church year.
Centuries ago, Advent was a season of fasting and penitence, though lesser in severity than Lent, in preparation for the coming of the Christ Child. We've pretty much moved away from the practice of penitence fully into the spirit of expectancy, however the wonderful readings in the Lectionary during Advent are not all sweetness and light. Does not preparing the way of the Lord in a spirit of expectancy include taking stock of ourselves and our lives to see the ways we are ready, and, still more, the ways we are unready to celebrate anew that God came down to be one of us, fully human, with the same joys and sorrow, the same pleasures and struggles common to the human family?
In her post titled 'The tender branch', Elizabeth Kaeton says:
It must be the Season of Advent.Please read all of Elizabeth's post, because it's very good.
I've been having a conversation with a male clergy colleague about Advent. He's a good guy. Truly. One of the best. Intelligent. I learn so much from him. Votes on the side of the angels in terms of all the justice issues.
We disagree about lots of things. Advent is one of them.
He sees it as a mini-Season of Penitence.
I see it as a Season of Anticipation.
He wants Liturgical Purple (the coming of Royalty).
I want Liturgical Blue (the color of Mary).
Why must Advent be one or the other? Why not both Penitence and Anticipation? I'm with Elizabeth in regarding the Incarnation very highly. For me, Christmas is the greatest feast day for without the Incarnation, none of the rest of the Jesus story would follow. The children have it right. I remember being reminded by the nuns in my Roman Catholic school that Easter was the greatest feast in Christianity, but most children I know never took the lesson to heart. And I suppose I've never taken the lesson to heart.
2 Peter 1:1-11Pictured above is my church, St John's Episcopal Church, beautifully dressed for Advent in Mary blue, to match the window, which I freely admit I prefer to purple for the season.
Simeon Peter, a servant* and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:
May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by* his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants in the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual* affection, and mutual* affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.
And before anyone says it, I know that biblical scholars conclude it is nearly certain that the apostle Peter did not write the letter from which I quote.
I'm with you, I love Advent! But to me it is a time of thought and more than anything else totally unreasonable hope. I know that sounds funny but it gives me a sense of, anything can truly happen and in my life right now, I need that hope.
ReplyDeleteCiss B, I hear you. Without the hope of Advent, the other trappings of the season would leave me quite depressed. In fact, I was depressed in the week or so before yesterday, when my spirits lifted. Still, I feel the call to quiet and reflection.
ReplyDeleteOh, Ciss B! I don't think it sounds funny. It's just the right attitude! Totally unreasonable hope!! We all need that in our lives.
ReplyDeletePrayers for you in your time of need.
Shall we settle on reflection and quiet unreasonable hope, then, Mimi?
ReplyDeletesusan s., I was about to post an 'Amen!' to your first comment, but I will now say 'Amen!' to both.
ReplyDeleteAlso 'Amen!' to unreasonable hope, Ciss. Well said!
I like that "unreasonable hope" part. I would also add it is "light from darkness" and at least in the Northern Hemisphere we connect to that in a certain way intuitively. So in my mind, it's both.
ReplyDeleteKirke, 'unreasonable hope' is a treasure.
ReplyDeleteCiss, thanks again...and again.
Yes, the light of Christ shining in the darkness. And I so look forward to the O Antiphons. It's a thrilling season for me.
Why must Advent be one or the other? Why not both Penitence and Anticipation?
ReplyDeleteI'm with you 100% on that, Mimi.
Expectancy...
ReplyDelete...though I've also decided to kneel for the Eucharistic prayer this time. [FYI, I ***always*** "stand in White" and usually in Green, too. Kneel in Lent.]
Unfelicitously, we're using Eucharistic Prayer B for Advent ("You have made us worthy to stand before you")
I love St Michael's---it's the church I grew up in---but loathe that, year in/year out, it's a "Mow 'em down" parish at the Eucharist. It's usually only me, and *maybe* one or two others, standing. Even at Easter! Argh.
Joel and I have been talking about 'penitence' --and how the word has changed in meaning over time and place... we're still working on it. It's been an interesting conversation.
ReplyDeleteI am really liking the unreasonable hope and quiet expectation --thank you all.
wv: joystat
Now that about says it all!
First off, in the true spirit of the season, I am choosing to listen and think rather than react and comment...
ReplyDeleteWith all the thoughts shared I have much to ponder...I admit to struggling a bit with "unreasonable hope" (which to my mind seems to be a definition for "pie in the sky") why should our hope be unreasonable? That's not meant as a challenge, but rather a request for more info.
It seems to me that Advent is about preparation. For me the secular culture has commandeered the anticipatory aspect of the season...IMHO reconnecting with a bit of the penitential helps counter the secular overkill.
margaret -- I'd like to hear more of your discussions on penitence -- perhaps at your blog.
ReplyDeleteFor me Advent is (or should be) hushed and almmost magical anticipation.
JCF, I always kneel during the Eucharistic prayer, but others in my church stand, I assume during the appropriate seasons. If I'm visiting a church, I do what the others do. I doubt that God cares one way or another.
ReplyDeletemargaret, one can go deep and wide with thoughts and words about the varying meanings of penitence.
Renz, listening and thinking during Advent is good. Lots of people are talking.
With regard to 'unreasonable hope', I'd say it's always a struggle, but if Christianity is about anything it is about hope, and I've known God to surprise me with the reality of hopes which I believed were unreasonable. It seems to me that the whole faith thing is, in so many ways, unreasonable.
IMHO reconnecting with a bit of the penitential helps counter the secular overkill.
I like that.
susankay, with you, I'd like to know a bit more about the talk between margaret and Joel on repentence, if she'd care to tell us.
I agree that there is something almost magical about Advent.
Still pondering...
ReplyDeleteFor me the birth of that little baby IS hope. The Nativity is a story about the arrival of hope for humanity, light overtaking the darkness...and yet we know that it is only the beginning of a story that will come complete with the resurrection.
There are so many things we almost dare not hope for that one could say our hope was unreasonable. I suppose I'm still trying to see how the hope that once again springs forth with the birth of the Christ child is one of the unreasonable ones - but maybe that's because I am seeing the "unreasonable"more on our side of the equation, hence my desire for a bit of reflection and penitence.
Thanks, this is all good. Giving me lots to meditate on.
Thank you all for your words here. I am delighted with your response in the comments. I had no idea that anything so wonderful as this thread would result from my post. You've given me much to ponder.
ReplyDeleteAll of the above!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Evangelical Land, and there was no Advent. There was Thanksgiving, and then suddenly, without warning, it was Christmas! No expecting; No penitence.
The past few years have brought their challenges - Not only for myself, but other family members. This year, my two sisters, non-Piskies, attended the advent procession at my parish. Both commented on the timely reminders of "Come and save us!" and "Do not fear." Knowing Advent since my move into the Land Episcopal, I have experienced it as a time of emptying of self, and filling of hope.
BTW, Mimi, take a gander of my recent FB photos. You will see we've merged Mary blue and royal purple. Why not both, indeed!
Oh, my. I wondered why my meter was spinning so.
ReplyDeleteI think anticipation naturally leads to moments of Penitence. My objection is to making Advent a "mini-Lent". It can - and should - stand on its own.
"Unreasonable hope". Wish I had said that. It's so spot on for Advent.
I grew up in Evangelical Land, and there was no Advent.
ReplyDeleteKJ, I find that truly sad. I can't imagine a Christian Christmas with no lead in. Just...Bang!...Christmas.
I will have a look at your pictures.
Elizabeth, do I really make your meter spin?
Sorry. Wrong thread. I couldn't help myself. See how badly in need of penitence I am?
All right, I'm all serious now. Advent should absolutely stand on its own. My Lent and my Advent are not at all similar, nor are the passing of the two seasons in my church alike. The two have very different flavor, as they should.
At Emmanuel, we began using new vestments for Advent. They are blue and purple. That is not an accident ( liturgical colors never are an accident ) they are intentionally about anticipation and penitential hope. It seems to me entirely appropriate.
ReplyDeleteFWIW
jimB
Oh, and no Lent. BOOM! It's Easter!
ReplyDeleteOh, Mimi, whatever you do is fine. As long as you stand in Easter! ;-p
ReplyDeleteWhat bothers me about a "Mow 'Em Down" (and I guess similarly, if EVERYONE was sitting or standing), is how non-reflective it is. Monkey See/Monkey Do. Why? Why kneel? Why stand? Why sit? Do people even *think* about it?
The only reason to stand at Easter . . . is that it's slightly less chaotic than "Everybody Dance!" [Though at the famous St Gregory Nyssan in San Francisco, they do the latter! Bless 'em!]
Oh well, I'll get on my high horse again as Easter approaches (maybe I'll get the nads to talk to the rector about it).
Until Midnight Mass 24 December, I'm kneeling...
Advent, for St. Pat's, means the endless tedium of Rite I. At least it's only four weeks of it.
ReplyDeleteWere they paid by the word for that rite? By the pound?
I think that 'readiness for the coming of the Lord' is such a strong note in the Advent and pre-Advent scriptures, and it really combines hope and penitence, doesn't it? Especially when combined with Thomas Cranmer's splendid Advent collect; 'Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put upon us the armour of light'.
ReplyDeleteGreat thread, Mimi, and thanks to all for their thoughts. I suspect that we're all so talkative on the subject because we all love Advent so much!
Jim, a combination of blue and purple vestments is an appropriate idea. I'll bet yours is not the first church to think of it.
ReplyDeleteOh, and no Lent. BOOM! It's Easter!
KJ, what happened between the birth and the resurrection? Oh, I see. Nothing here. Move along.
JCF, I hope you make allowances for folks who can not stand for long periods due to arthritis. Would I be shamed for kneeling or sitting at Easter?
Mark, I like all the Communion Rites, but that's me.
Tim, Advent is an incredibly rich season of the church in every way. That's why I love it so. Thank God for Advent and the wisdom of those who have gone before us, who established and preserved the season for us.
The rubric is "Stand or Kneel".
ReplyDeleteI think Standing, during White celebratory seasons, should be FIRST choice---for those who are able.
But if you aren't, do what feels good.
Truth be told, at this moment my left knee is tricking me. It'll probably be OK by Sunday, but if not, I might *not* be kneeling then!
...do what feels good.
ReplyDeleteJCF, I try. ;-)