Church Seasons ~ Advent

We have looked at the four seasons, now we turn to the church seasons.  There is a different rhythm and routine to the church year...what is often called the liturgical year.  These seasons offer us an important insight about faith and living in relationship with each other.  The church year starts with the season of Advent.  This is the four Sundays before Christmas.  Christmas is always on December 25th, so look backwards and find the four Sundays preceding and that is Advent.  

Advent was at one time forty days, mirroring the season of Lent (the 40 days, excluding Sundays, before Easter).  But at some point it was narrowed.  Each Sunday you light a candle for the season of Advent.  The candles are named: hope, peace, joy, and love.  These candles light the way for the coming, the birth of Jesus at Christmas.  These candles light the way as darkness descends on the earth (until the winter solstice ~ which is December 22nd, the longest night, and slowly days start to have more sunlight).  In one way, the church mirrors what is happening around us.  As night is growing longer, less sun, we light candles to proclaim that hope, peace, joy, and love can never be extinguished.  These candles, often in a circle like the candles above, are like a compass.  We strive to orientate ourselves toward hope, peace, joy, and love.  We strive to stand at the center where we find Christ.  

Season of Advent is about waiting (not only for Christmas presents) but for the long-expected Jesus.  It is about watching for signs of God's movement.  It is about keeping awake for the sound of God's still singing voice.  It is about preparing a place in the "stable" of our hearts for the One who is God's love incarnate (in the flesh).

Most scholars talk about the scandal of the particular.  That God was willing to take on flesh, enter into our lives and be make real God's presence.  Emmanuel means God is with us.  Sometimes that is to suggest that God is NOT with you...who the other group is that gets on your nerves or tests your patience.  Emmanuel is for all people.  In fact, the prophet Isaiah images all people...ALL people... streaming to God's mountain.  That may not have a snowball's chance in Florida of happening, but that is the kind of vision and prayer we try to stay awake, alert and ready to receive anew during Advent.  

In some ways, four weeks is not enough for such life-changing world.  In other ways, we don't need to stop waiting, watching, and preparing just because the calendar is turned to December 25th.  As the first church season, this wisdom sets the tone for the entire church year.  As we move on to other seasons, listen for how this truth keeps on echoing...echoing around.  

Until then, where are you in the advent of your faith journey, which might feel more like spring than the bleak mid-winter when Advent takes place.  Where are their the faintest signs of hope, peace, joy, and love starting to spark, promising and pointing to something more?  That is the truth of Advent and one I pray that you will begin to hold onto before we even light that first candle at the end of November.  May you find some candles, light one and call it hope.  Where is hope stirring?  Where do you need peace?  What brings you joy?  And where does love glow brightly?  Don't push off preparing room for Christ...for indeed that is an invitation every day...not only in December.  May you sense more than a trace of God's grace as you light candles and reflect on the season of Advent.

Blessings