The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer

This evening (December 31) many churches – though not nearly as many as once was the case – will be holding Watch Night services.  These gatherings mark the end of the calendar year and the beginning of the new.  Such assemblies may spend a little time reflecting on the year past, but their primary concern is what lies ahead.  The new year carries with it a sense of turning the page, of starting with a clean slate and undertaking a fresh, new set of hopes.  The opening of a new planner and the making of resolutions signal an opportunity for doing things a bit differently than has been the case in the past.

The Wesleyan tradition includes a bit of liturgical material known as The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer.  Although John Wesley did not compose this prayer, he adapted it for Methodists and printed it in a pamphlet called Directions for Renewing our Covenant with God in 1780.  In 1784 when Wesley issued The Sunday Service of the Methodists; With Other Occasional Services to be used by the Methodists in North America, he included this prayer as part of A Service for Covenant Renewal.  This service has informally become known as The Wesley Covenant Service.  At the heart of this observance is this prayer:

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

I offer this prayer as a word of hope for the days ahead.

Happy New Year!

December 30 -- The First Sunday After Christmas

The liturgical designation of the day is a little amusing.  In this calendar year it is the only Sunday in the Christmas season, so it is the first and sole Sunday after Christmas.  Christmas Day must fall on a Wednesday or later in order for there to be two Sundays in the season.  Obviously, four-sevenths of all years have one of the Twelve Days of Christmas occur on a second Sunday.

This being the solitary Sunday in the season, the church has to make some decisions.  There may seem to be little material from which to choose for consideration on this day.  But there is actually a wealth of scriptural passages that lend themselves to such a time.  The New Revised Common Lectionary (NRCL) offers these possibilities.  In Year A (which was the designation for the liturgical year beginning in 2016 and will commence again with Advent of 2019) lists Matthew 2:13-23 (the Flight into Egypt, the Slaughter of the Innocents and the return from Egypt including the settlement in Nazareth).  It offers The Prologue to John (John 1:[1-9], 10-18) for the second Sunday in the season.  Year B (2017, 2020, 2023) has us reading Luke 2:22-40 (the Purification of Mary and the encounter with Simeon) for its first Sunday and the Prologue of John for its Second Sunday.  The readings for year C (which we currently observe and which comes around again in 2021 and 2024) suggests Luke 2:41-52 (Twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple) and Matthew 25:31-46 (Jesus’ saying about sheep and goats) for the two Sundays in this cycle.  These tables omit Luke 2:36-38 – the encounter with the prophetess Anna – and the brief but instructive Luke 2:39-40 that concludes “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”

So, the often-heard criticism that there is little material about Jesus between the birth narratives and the beginning of his public ministry doesn’t hold water.  There is so much there – admittedly a little brief at points, somewhat obscure at others – that a three-year reading cycle does not encompass them all. 

So, what is our takeaway from such a season?  I think that, in part, we come to understand that lingering at the manger is not productive.  It will be empty soon enough.  The narratives progress in order to tell us that exceptional, even dangerous, occurrences follow.  And, as our earlier considerations of the liturgical calendar for this week have considered, these occasionally severe consequences can reach beyond Jesus himself and touch those who are around him as well.

If we take 2 timothy 3:16, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” seriously, then we value these small and overlooked verses as much as any other.  I think that even the stories in which Jesus is only a passive participant still have a lot to teach us.

The Feast of the Slaughter of the Holy Innocents

Even though we count the Days of Christmas as our twelve-day celebration moves on, the Christian Calendar reminds us that the birth of Christ neither takes place in a vacuum nor does it occur without consequences.  I have heard it said, “One lights a candle, but casts a shadow.”  The story moves on, not letting the baby remain in the manger for long.  There are repercussions for the birth of a Savior.

December 28 is the Feast of the Slaughter of the Holy Innocents, alternately known simply as the Feast of the Holy Innocents.  We read their story in Matthew 2:16–18.  In a nutshell, King Herod instructed the Magi, the Wise Men from the East, to bring word back to Herod once they had located the new born king so that Herod himself could “pay him homage.”  This is undoubtedly Herod’s code for “so that I can kill him.”

The Wise Men found the child, gave him gifts, worshiped him, and “being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another way.” –Matthew 2:12

But when Herod decided that enough time had passed for the Magi to carry out his orders, the king determined that he had been duped.  In an angry rage, he decreed that all male children under two years of age should be killed so that he could make sure and eliminate his rival.

Joseph, father of Jesus, received his own warning in the form of another dream, and he fled with Mary and Jesus and sought refuge in Egypt.  So, while an undetermined number of baby boys died at the hands of Herod’s minions, the target child was spirited away.

This is a dreadful story.  Yet it is not outside our understanding of Herod’s character.  He brutally killed his wife, brother-in-law, three of his sons, 300 military leaders, and many others, as recorded by firsthand sources (notably the Jewish historian Josephus).

It also recalls the story of the Hebrew children in Exodus1:15—2:4. Pharaoh attempted the murder of newborn Israelite boys, but Moses eluded that fate and obviously became the great leader and law-giver of the people.  Matthew portrays the infant Jesus as being in the same peril and experiencing the same deliverance.

The coming of Jesus into the world can have unforeseen fallout.  Sometimes pure evil, in its efforts to combat or eradicate faith, commits acts of unspeakable depravity.  Beyond that we can never fully explain such occurrences.  But this Feast Day reflects our resolve never to forget. 

The calendar reminds us that the consequences of the appearance of Jesus in the world are many and varied.  Some involve deep intentionality.  Others can appear absolutely random.  But Jesus is not a presence that we can ignore.  For good or ill, the world knows that.

The Feast of St. John the Evangelist

Even though we count the Days of Christmas as our twelve-day celebration moves on, the Christian Calendar reminds us that the birth of Christ neither takes place in a vacuum nor does it occur without consequences.  I have heard it said, “One lights a candle, but casts a shadow.”  The story moves on, not letting the baby remain in the manger for long.  There are repercussions for the birth of a Savior.

December 27 is the Feast of St. John the Evangelist.  Many attribute the Fourth Gospel, the three New Testament letters that bear his name and the Book of Revelation to him.  It is interesting that in the gospel, his name never explicitly appears in relation to his authorship.  Many make an association between the son of Zebedee and “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  But no matter where one stands on the issue (and I certainly have no problem with claiming that John is the author of the gospel that bears his name.  Indeed, a great lot of me wants that to be the case), the literary evidence is simply not present.  We do not want to be led astray by uninformed paraphrases such as The Living Bible where Mr. Taylor freely substitutes John’s name for the phrase the disciple whom Jesus loved.  That is neither responsible scholarship nor good churchmanship.  John’s name doesn’t appear at all in the epistles and it shows up four times in the Book of Revelation – three times in the opening chapter and once in the conclusion.

This having been said, we can hardly overestimate St. John’s contribution and influence on the church.  If he did not write any or all of the New Testament material with which we associate him, these volumes are certainly a product of the Johanine school and they are deeply indebted to him.

But, the significance of this day does not rest solely upon St. John as a literary figure.  Christian tradition holds that John the son of Zebedee was the only one of the Twelve Apostles (following Matthias’ replacing of Judas Iscariot) who lived to a ripe old age and died of natural causes.  There are stories of the martyrdom – sometimes under the most gruesome of circumstances – of the other eleven.  But the lore of the church holds that John lived well past age ninety and died peacefully in Ephesus, where he lived in his old age.

Yesterday we meditated on St. Stephen, the martyr, who because of his faith died at an early age.  Today we ponder the long and faithful life of a servant of Christ who lived to be full of days.  We can never be fully certain where the life of faith will take us.  The calendar reminds us today that it could be, it could be, that it is possible for the disciple to enjoy a lengthy and abundant life.  It would be a disservice to the Apostle to claim that he was healthy and content every day of his life.  After all, the writer of the Book of Revelation did his composing while he was in exile on the island of Patmos.  But, overall, this life reminds us of the fullness of spirit (if not of years) to which Christ calls us.

The Feast of St. Stephen, Martyr

Even though we count the Days of Christmas as our twelve-day celebration moves on, the Christian Calendar reminds us that the birth of Christ neither takes place in a vacuum nor does it occur without consequences.  I have heard it said, “One lights a candle, but casts a shadow.”  The story moves on, not letting the baby remain in the manger for long.  There are repercussions for the birth of a Savior.

December 26 is Boxing Day, to be sure.  It is on this day that the that the events of the seasonal song “Good King Wenceslaus” occur.  But it is also the first feast day following the Feast of the Nativity.  It commemorates the death of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen.  Acts 6 and 7 tell the story of how he was made a deacon (a server of tables) in the Jerusalem Church, of how he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and of how we was stoned to death at the direction of the Jewish Sanhedrin.  His feast day reminds the church of all people who, throughout history, have suffered and died for their Christian faith.

We don’t like to think of suffering and danger and martyrdom.  This is especially true at this time of the year.  But it would be both gross negligence and a dishonoring of the faith of the martyrs to turn a blind eye to this observance.  Had there been no babe in the manger there would be no stoning of Stephen.  They are as interconnected as gears in a machine.  The day is a sober insertion into our tidings of comfort and joy.

So, it is a day of two turtledoves, of a second day of reveling in the merriment surrounding our remembrance of Christ’s Nativity.  But it is also a day that reminds us that faith sometimes comes with a cost.  Just because we are not in danger of stoning doesn’t make that truth any less real.

THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

 As this day moves on, it slowly, almost imperceptibly, shifts its focus.  We open our gifts.  We enjoy out feast.  We visit with family.  But, quietly, the understanding sets in that the day and its revels will not – cannot – last forever.  And, we perceive that the baby will not remain a newborn in a manger indefinitely.  The child must grow and must do what he came to do.  Disciples must accompany him on his way.  We prepare for a journey.  We may not see the destination clearly at this point.  But it is essential that we prepare ourselves for the trip.

The church helps us by offering a different kind of reading for the latter part of this day.  Up ‘til now we have concerned ourselves with mangers and full-up inns, with shepherds and angels, with a star, with Wise Men bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh.  But, the last Gospel Reading for the day is not from the Infancy Narratives.  It is from John 1.  I excerpt it here:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it… And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth… The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

Do not get me wrong.  I aim to wring every last little bit of holiday revelry out of this season.  But we well know that there is more to these days than fun.  This is our staging area.  This is where we receive our marching orders.  This is where our work begins.

Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas Eve, especially as the day moves on, is effectively Christmas Day.  Many families decorate trees, have their great feast and open gifts before they retire this night. 

The Church itself gives its attention over to the celebration on (or beginning on) this day.  The New Revised Common Lectionary (NRCL) has three – count ‘em, three – separate sets of readings for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, as a great many churches have worship sometime early on the 24^th, then around midnight, and/or in the morning or mid-day on the 25^th.  The readings are from Isaiah 9, Isaiah 62, Isaiah 52, Psalm 96, 97, 98, Titus 2, Titus 3, Hebrews 1, Luke 2:1-14, Luke 2:8-20 and John 1:1-14.  Together these represent a marvelous survey of Christological material.  The NRCL enfolds us in Good News. 

The church lights its Christ Candle tonight.  (Some sanctuaries will be ablaze with the flames of the four outer candles of the Advent wreath as well as the central Christ Candle.  Without trying too hard to sound like the worship police, Advent is over.  The wait is past.  Jesus Christ is born!  His candle alone burns in our worship space.  The unlit candles of the wreath are a fitting reminder of where we have been.  Christ’s candle represents where we are: in the light of Christ’s presence.)

A Devotion for the Lighting of the Christ Candle

Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy!

Jesus Christ is born!

The time of anticipation is ended.

The day of rejoicing is upon us.

We have wandered in the darkness.

Gradually, the lights of these Advent candles 

have helped us find our way.

But now, the people see a great light.

Jesus is among us; he is in this very place.

PRAYER

Lord, let now your servants depart in peace,

For our eyes have seen the Savior

Whom you pave prepared for all the world to see,

A light to enlighten the nations,

And the glory of your people, Israel.

In the name of He who shall reign for ever and ever,

Even Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Devotion for the Lighting of an Advent Wreath

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 23

(Light all of the candles)

With the lighting of this candle, the outer circle of light is complete.  Gradually, Sunday by Sunday, we have added light until now the entire wreath is burning, except for the center Christ candle, which will be kindled on Christmas Eve.  We have moved from darkness into the wonder of Christ's light.  We see the realization of the Fourth Evangelists' words:

"The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness did not overcome it."

With the lighting of this fourth and last Advent candle, we have before us a graphic reminder that God's purposes shall always overcome those of darkness.  The triumph will take time.  The victory is not always readily evident.  But, in God's own time, God's will is done.  In the Christ event, God proclaims the victory.

So, as our wreath stands fully lighted, our hearts are ablaze with hope, but also with triumph. 

For behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

And his name shall be called "God With Us."

Prayer:      

O Lord,

Who prepares our hearts for the coming of Your Son into the world,

Ground us in the assurance that the darkness shall not overcome us;

In the name of the One whom You call "Emmanuel."

Amen.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

It is a bit of an oddity that of all the hymns that Charles Wesley wrote we only have one Advent lyric in the current United Methodist Hymnal.  It is number 196 in that publication.  The title is Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus:

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s Strength and Consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear Desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,

Born a child and yet a King,

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all sufficient merit,

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Wesley published this hymn initially in Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord, which was a small compendium of seasonal music.  It eventually went through 20 printings during Charles’ life.

As is the case with so many of Wesley’s hymns, it is a short theology lesson.  It petitions the awaited Christ for freedom from sin, for hope, for deliverance and for the eternal rule of Christ.  It packs a lot into a few short lines.

It is unusual as a Wesleyan hymn because of his brevity as well.  Charles Wesley wrote a hymn per day through most of his adult life as a devotional practice.  Many of these were quite lengthy.  Our hymnals have usually printed only a portion of these hymn-texts for use in worship.  The first hymn in the music section of the Hymnal is number 57, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, and it has seven stanzas printed within the music staff.  On the next page, however we see the text almost in its entirety.  The Hymnal offers fifteen stanzas of the text entitled For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion.  (one verse is omitted owing to modern-day sensitivities, as it refers to Jeremiah 13 while proclaiming:

Awake from guilty nature’s sleep,

And Christ shall give you light,

Cast all your sins into the deep,

And wash the Ethiop white.

The Hymnal’s text employs verses seven through thirteen of the larger work.

That is to say that in its brief sixteen lines, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus does a wonderful job of encapsulating much of that which we anticipate in Advent.  May its title become our heartfelt petition.

Observing the Fourth Sunday of Advent

We are roaring toward the Fourth Sunday in Advent.  Naturally, this is also the last Sunday in the season.  The date is the 23^rd.  So, Christmas Eve is one day following and then Christmas Day is the day after that.  For a lot of people, it will be “Christmas Sunday.”  It is the Sunday closer to Christmas Day.  It is the Sunday of “Christmas Weekend.”  And… we get in such a hurry, it seems that we just can’t wait for the day to get here.

However, it is still Advent.  The time has not yet come.  If it were a matter of Christmas being the following Friday or Saturday many of us could easily embrace these days of anticipation.  But, being almost here, we act as if the day had already arrived, or as if we can somehow hasten its coming by artificially including Christmas in our observances.

The New Revised Common Lectionary (NRCL) still holds off.  The Old Testament reading is the Bethlehem oracle from Micah.  The Gospel Lesson is Luke’s story of The Visitation.  This worship tool says to us, “Wait, wait.”

I am not talking about a matter of being the Christmas police, standing with arms crossed before our people and shouting, “You better not be doing Christmas stuff before December 24/5!”  I hope to be encouraging folk to embrace Advent itself in all its fullness.  Lawrence Hull Stookey says,

            If you were taught that Advent is primarily about 

            the past expectation of the coming of the Messiah, 

            consider instead that Advent is primarily about the

            future, with implications for the present.¹

These are wondrous days.  I would hope that we can make the most of them.

¹Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church 

(Nashville: Abingdon, 1996.)

A Devotion for the Lighting of an Advent Wreath

The Third Sunday of Advent

December 16

(Light the rose candle)

The event draws ever closer.  What once was afar off now is only nine days away.  The light has spread and begins to claim its mastery over the darkness.  In John's gospel, we read: "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." 

We are in process. 

We are moving from darkness into Christ's wonderful light. 

We have not yet arrived. 

But we are underway.

Today, we light the rose candle.  The traditional name of this Sunday is Gaudite (GAW - di - tay), which means "rejoice."  It is a kind of break in this season of darkness.  We rejoice in our hope, as the promise of the deliverance of the people of God draws ever nearer.

Prayer:   
God our Creator
we feel you at work within us
even as we behold the light overcoming the darkness.
Make us faithful
even as you make us complete;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

This Sunday’s Gospel Reading

The Gospel Lesson for the Third Sunday of Advent (Cycle C) is Luke 3:7-18.  It is the narrative that concerns the appearance of John the Baptist prior to Jesus’ baptism.  In the course of the story, John addresses the crowds by saying, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”  He then outlines righteous behavior for those who have two coats, tax collectors and soldiers. 

His address is peppered with words of judgment: an axe being laid to the tree, a winnowing fork, a threshing floor.  John calls people to repentance.  He reminds them that their Abrahamic heritage will count for nothing at the end of the day.  It is a sobering, even alarming lesson.

And then, the concluding verse (3:18) says, So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

It is difficult not to comment on the irony here.  John has said, “Gloom!  Gloom!  More gloom!”  Then Luke tells us about good news.  The whole thing almost brings a smirk to one’s face. 

However, I remember that “Good News,” “Gospel” does not necessarily mean “happy news.”  It is not “warm fuzzy news.” The gospel to which Luke refers is a life of sacrifice.  It is an existence of self-denial.  For some, it will result in pain.  It will even mean martyrdom for a great many believers.  The persecution and denial – both official and unofficial—of Christian believers through history has often been severe.

A lot of us cringe when John makes his way onto our Advent worship stage.  We want to hear of a newborn babe and adoring shepherds, of sweet straw and a new mother’s lullaby.  When John invades our comfortable pageant and tells us that there is an edge to discipleship, we often would like to look the other way.  But, John’s message in these moments becomes Jesus’ percolation in a very few verses.

The good news has a cost to those who embrace it.

The First Song of Isaiah

The Psalter Reading for the coming Sunday found in the New Revised Common Lectionary is a portion of Isaiah's first Servant Song.  This is the text of Isaiah 12:2-6 from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible:

Surely God is my salvation;

   I will trust, and will not be afraid,

for the Lord God is my strength and my might;

   he has become my salvation.

 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 
And you will say on that day:

Give thanks to the Lord,

   call on his name;

make known his deeds among the nations;

   proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;

   let this be known in all the earth.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,

   for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

There is a musical setting (below) that moves me a great deal.  I was pastor at a church at one time where the choir presented this piece as an anthem frequently.  The opening lines were sung by both the congregation and the choir:

Surely it is God who saves me;

I shall trust in Him and not be afraid,

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense,

And he shall be my savior.

There are four Servant Songs in Isaiah.  The Gospels appeal to the  figure of the Suffering Servant (especially in the Passion Narratives) repeatedly.  But the lectionary reminds us that this prophesy is also apt for our Advent observance.  It offers an alternate perspective to some of our more commonly-read seasonal texts.

Seasonal Music

This subject is really where I find feelings to be the strongest, and the most divided.  On the one hand, the shopping malls have been playing “seasonal music” (as opposed to “Christmas music – I mean, there is nothing    Christmas-y about Winter Wonderland, Frosty the Snowman or Here We Come A-Caroling) since the day after Halloween.  Lot’s of people hold that somehow, once it becomes December that it is effectively Christmas, and they want to sing/hear the music.  Being culturally Christmas, folks want to sing Silent Night once the first greenery goes up in their church.  These are also the people who want to shut it all down December 26.  As anxious as they were about the music and the trappings prior to Christmas, they are the ones who let out a “Whew!  I’m glad that’s over,” as soon as the last gift has been unwrapped.

The other side of the coin is that we remember that we are involved in a time of anticipation.  The Nativity is coming closer.  But it is not here yet.  It is interesting that we don’t have a similar conflict in the church’s other great feast – Easter.  The church has a clearly-defined season that takes place prior to the day itself.  And, we do a fairly good job of observing that time.  The introspection, self-denial and prayer stay focused on the emphases of those days.  Passion Hymns take us right up to Easter Vigil.  Then, we sing with joy and gusto “Christ the Lord is Risen Today!” 

However, Advent has trouble claiming its distinctiveness.  Our culture is hesitant to let it be a kettle that sits on its own bottom.  There is a hurry to get to Christmas.

But, in these days, we can savor O come, O Come, Emmanuel, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates, Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, People, Look East, Even So Come or I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light.  These texts beautifully capture the spirit of this time and they do so within the rich tradition of our faith.  The argument, “There just aren’t enough anticipatory hymns to fill out the season” is rubbish.  In addition, to treat these marvelous lyrics as if they don’t exist is aesthetically negligent and just bad stewardship.

I think we should sing no carol before its time.

Observing Advent – part 2

Chrismon Tree
The Chrismon Tree has a fairly short history.  It was first developed for the Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia in 1957.  The tree has all-white lights, which symbolize Christ’s purity and majesty.

In place of ornaments, this tree has chrismons.  That word is a shortening of “Christ’s monograms.”  The symbols are white with either silver or gold highlights.  The monograms proper are the traditional chi rho or IHS along with some others.  The tree also is appointed with representations of Jesus’ life and ministry, the church, God, the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity.  Atop the tree is a crown that signifies Christ’s lordship.

The Chrismon Tree has appreciated in popularity in the last several years, owing in part to its being similar to traditional seasonal trees (so that it appeals to the non-liturgical among us) and at the same time being essentially an Advent object (that appeases the “no carols before Christmas" crowd).

Hanging of the Greens
Many churches devote a regular or extra worship service early in Advent to a time of Hanging of the Greens.  The physical appointments in the church sanctuary may be physically positioned, or they may already be in place and during the course of the service they may be referenced or interpreted.  Wreathes, garland, candles, Chrismon tree, Advent wreath, poinsettias and other items – particularly greenery – offer devotional focus in the course of the service.  

Such a worship time allows the church to remind its members and especially newcomers that the church does not “decorate” its sanctuary.  Nothing is in place because it is pretty.  We appoint our worship space, presenting things that aid in worship.

The Second Sunday of Advent

Advent, in striking the balance in anticipating both the initial appearance of Jesus in human history and in awaiting the coming of the Son of Man in glory, becomes a many-layered observance in the church’s calendar.  It further confuses some people as the store displays, television commercials and radio music is largely concerned with Christmas Day and has no interest in this season.

The church, in reckoning time a little differently, also adopts a dissimilar set of emphases. 

On example is that, for churches that utilize the NEW Revised Common Lectionary (NRCL), the Gospel reading for the day in Cycles A, B and C all have to do with the appearance of John the Baptist in the narratives.  John is portrayed as preaching in the wilderness of Judea, baptizing people and pointing toward the (unnamed) Messiah.

This message of anticipation of the adult Christ occasionally pushes Christians off-target.  For one thing, they hear the word “baptize” and they make the (erroneous) assumption that all ritual lustrations belong under one big umbrella.  It is astounding to me – and more than a little bit troubling – that a great deal of the church uses language related to John’s baptism to describe the Christian sacrament.

John’s baptism was preparatory.  It was a way of inviting those who awaited the coming of the Messiah to make their spirits ready for the Messiah’s appearance.  The appearance of Jesus made John’s baptism moot.  There was nothing more for which to prepare.  The action had moved from making ready to following.  Christian baptism is an initiation, an act of inclusion.  It is that “outward and visible sign of an inward and spirituals grace” by which God calls those who desire to enter the community of faith to Godself.  It has nothing to do with the call of John.

The liturgical year will deal with Jesus’ baptism and the baptism of believers soon enough.  We remember that the account John’s baptizing is part of the historical record.  Along with other pieces of the narrative, these tales set the stage for the advent of Jesus in the stories and in our lives.

A devotion for the lighting of an Advent wreath

The Second Sunday of Advent
December 9
(Light two of the purple candles)

This season of Advent demands from us a delicate balance between urgency and patience.  We feel anxious because we long for the celebration.  Children chafe at being told to wait for the wonders of Christmas morning.  Pilgrims anticipate the move from expectation to realization of the coming of Christ into the world.  But, we also feel the need for waiting.  We come to understand that it is important to let this season do its work on our hearts.  An observation so great as that of the coming of the Messiah without adequate preparation is cheaply won.  It takes time to make ready for a day such as the day of Christ's birth. 

So, today we kindle a second candle on our Advent wreath.  The darkness loses a bit more of its power.  The light is slowly claiming our worship space, as it is progressively moving within our hearts.  The coming triumph of the light over the power of ignorance and sin is made more evident.  It becomes more believable.  Our hearts quicken as we draw closer to the time when we proclaim with the prophet Isaiah: 

                  "for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, 
                    and your days of mourning shall be ended."
                                                                   --Isaiah 60:20b



Prayer:
Eternal God,
we pray that you will help us long for the coming of our Savior,
and that you will aid us in an unhurried appreciation of the present,
that the Light of the World 
may transform us into children of the light;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Observing Advent

These four weeks prior to Christmas comprise the season of Advent.  This stretch of days is much-maligned, often being described as a time of “getting ready for Christmas.”  But this season is a kettle that stands on its own bottom.  It has a rich heritage and it is observed with a variety of practices.

Among these are:

Advent Calendar

These are a favorite with children.  They come in a variety of formats, but most are poster-like in appearance with fold-out doors that are opened daily.  Once opened, the flaps reveal some phrase or scripture verse or picture that reflects the season.  Many are numbered 1 through 24 or 25, so unless Advent begins precisely on December 1 a little correction may be necessary.  Sadly, there are versions that reflect more of a countdown to Christmas than an observance of a meaningful, self-contained season.

Advent Wreath

The Advent Wreath is an object that has a multiplicity of symbols incorporated into one wonderful devotional object.  As the name implies, it is round, signifying eternality in the person of Jesus.  The greenery of the wreath indicates everlasting life.  The four candles situated in the outer ring number the Sundays in Advent.  The church lights one candle on the first Sunday of Advent, two on the second and so forth through the entire season.  The emphasis is on progression, and on the gradual overtaking of the darkness by the light.  Light being a principle symbol of these four weeks.  The central (white) candle is the Christ Candle, and it is ignited at the Christmas Eve/Vigil service, or if that service is not held, then the candle is lighted on Christmas day. 

The color of the candles on the outer ring is the subject of much conversation within various church traditions.  The earliest candles were all white, or all red.  Over time, Protestant churches moved to violet candles reflecting the color of the fabric pieces used during the season.  For reasons that cannot be fully identified, Protestants incorporated an outdated Roman Catholic custom into their color schemes, and a rose-colored candle became the color for the Third Sunday in Advent.  The why of this gets a little sketchy.

In Roman Catholic tradition, the Fourth Sunday in Lent is known as Laetare Sunday.  It gets its name from the opening words of the liturgy for the day, "Laetare Jerusalem" which means, "Rejoice, O Jerusalem" and is a Latin phrase taken from Isaiah 66:10.  It is a Sunday of celebration that offers a break from the solemnity of Lent.  Vestments and paraments for this day were rose in color.  And, on this day, the Pope frequently gave guided roses to some of his favorites. Now comes the tricky part: as the church began to equate Advent with Lent, mirroring Advent as a pre-Christmas time in the same way that it observed Lent as a pre-Easter period, the third Sunday of Advent took on aspects of Laetere.  It became known as Gaudete Sunday, again taking a label from the opening words of the Catholic liturgy for the day.  Gaudete means “rejoice.”  So, we have a rose candle because of an old Catholic practice during the season of Lent.

In recent years, Protestants have moved to the use of blue candles – as well as in clergy vestments and sanctuary appointments – during this season.  Blue is a color associated with the Virgin Mary in church iconography.  It is also a symbol of hope.  The use of blue as a distinct color for the Advent season (as opposed to using purple as a mirroring of Lent) has a great deal to recommend it.

There are other objects that contribute to the observance of the season.  I’ll visit more of them next time.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

The First Sunday of Advent

We come to the beginning of a new year.  Not the calendar year, of course.  2019 will be upon us quickly enough.  December 2 marks the beginning of the Christian Liturgical Year.  The Western Church reckons time a little differently than secular observers.  So, we start a new year four Sundays before December 25 – Christmas.

Advent literally means “to come” (from the Latin advenio).  The season is a many-layered period.  The church, all at the same time, anticipates the physical birth of Jesus, placing him in time and space.  The community of faith also begins the yer-long observance of the coming of the Savior of the world into human history.  In addition, believers look forward to the return of the exalted Son of Man in glory.  Lawrence Hull Stookey (Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church, Nashville, Abingdon 1996) observes, “What may seem to be an anomaly is a very important theological point.  The beginning pf the liturgical year takes our thinking to the very end of things.” (p. 121)

The friction in this time is that this is not the “Christmas Season.”  The retailers have been huckstering STUFF since the Fifth of July.  But the church does things differently.  Advent is a time of introspection.  It is a time of expectancy.  It is a time of not getting in a hurry.

Time will pass quickly enough.  I look to enjoy the anticipation.

*     *     *

A devotion at the lighting of an Advent wreath

The First Sunday of Advent

December 2

(Light one of the purple candles)

In Scripture, one of the great symbols used to describe the fallen nature of human beings is darkness.  In John's gospel, the evangelist says:

"and this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.  For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed."

During the season of Advent, we once again rehearse the movement of human beings out of the darkness of ignorance and sin and into the light of Christ's presence.  Today, on the first Sunday of the season, we light a lone candle on the wreath.  As it awaits its Savior, creation is still largely in darkness.  However, there is ever a spark of hope in the world.  The light of this single candle is a reminder that the time is coming when the light of righteousness will overcome the darkness.

Prayer:   Almighty God,

kindle in each of us the light of fresh hope;

that in the face of darkness

we might not despair.

In the name of Jesus Christ, who is our light.  Amen.