Don't bail out on Advent!

Well, it really is growing near!  One week from today is Christmas Eve.  The end of Advent is steaming toward us.  It would be so easy simply to cash in the chips, to say, “We’ve been at this since November 10.  Let’s do Christmas already."

That’s the best reason to refrain!  Not that the world and its Christmas culture has worn us down.  But rather, there is still much to do.  Because, as we have said here repeatedly, this is not about pre-Christmas.  This is a wondrous, free-standing time that carries its own joys and its own blessings.  If it becomes difficult to focus on the season, perhaps it is time to create some NEW practices, to establish some NEW traditions.

I think this is a great stretch in which to explore the music dedicated to this time.  On November 21 this blog published a long list of Advent titles that appear in the United Methodist Hymnal alone.  What a great time to listen to them, learn them, sing them and even delve into them a bit.  Much of what is unique in Advent is explored at great length in these wonderful pieces of music.

It would be a terrific spiritual discipline to take some of the days we have left and immerse ourselves in the prophets who spoke so eloquently of hope and of the coming of God’s Christ.  We reduce these prophesies to single verses or carol-phrases often.  Instead of looking up the verse that contains “sun of righteousness” or “God with us,” what if we studied the chapter – or the book – in which the verse resides?

I would venture that there are representatives of other cultural expressions of Advent within easy driving distance of your own home.  You could visit these establishments or exhibits or even see how folks from different places decorate their yards and homes. “What is that?  Where does that come from?”  Write down a description.  Take a picture.  Go back home, conjure up some hot chocolate and Google what you have seen.  Marvel at how others "do Advent."

 I don’t know if there is enough time for it all.

The Sixth O Antiphon -- "O Dayspring"

O DAYSPRING, Brightness of the light eternal and Sun of Justice:

Come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

This Antiphon incorporates several references to Jesus.  The Dayspring reference is from The Canticle of Zechariah in Luke 1.  Zechariah speaks of his son John who will be the “prophet of the most high” who will make ready for “the Dayspring,” or Jesus. 

There are multiple references in the gospels to Jesus as “the Light” or “Light,” most noticeably in John.  In chapter 1, vss. 3-5, the writer proclaims, “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.”  

In Revelation 21 Jesus says, “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Sun of Righteousness, or here rendered Sun of Justice, is part of the prophesy of Malachi 4: “See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.”

Light and its attributes demonstrate Jesus’ bringing clarity and accuracy of perception into the world.  It is difficult to see in the darkness.  But, when light is shed upon a thing, it is more clearly discerned.  And so, we hear the petition in the second line of the Antiphon:

Come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

The Creche

There is a tradition that the first Nativity Creche or Nativity Scene was produced by St. Francis of Assisi at Greccio, in central Italy.  The story is that, even in that day, the festival of the birth of Jesus had been polluted by secular materialism and that the development of the creche was an attempt by Francis to bring the focus of the day back to faith.

“Nativity Scenes” come in all sizes and in a huge degree of elaboration.  Some are simple, unpainted one-piece representations of Mary, Joseph and Jesus.  At the other end of the scale are creches with large figures that depict the Holy Family, shepherds, Magi, sheep accompanying the shepherds, camels in the presence of the Magi, various barn animals associated with the manger of Jesus, angels and others.  I have a tree ornament that represents the central three figures in silhouette.  And I have seen creches in church sanctuaries that were ¼ scale of real-life persons and animals.  This does not take into account the so-called “living Nativity” that some congregations present with live actors portraying the characters of the story and real farm animals (and even camels) present to present an extra layer of pageantry.

Each of these arrangements serves to present a visual expression of the Nativity story.  Some are broken out in their entirety at the beginning of Advent.  Other have a barn structure to which other representations are added as the season progresses.  Mary, Joseph and Jesus make their appearance on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  The Magi are not inserted until Epiphany – January 6. 

Families, local congregations and even communities have long-standing traditions surrounding their “Manger Scenes.”  These extraordinary depictions of the events surrounding the birth of Christ hopefully serve the end St. Francis had in mind – to turn our hearts to God.

The Chrismon Tree

The Chrismon Tree is a fairly recent introduction into the observance of Advent that has become quite popular in recent years.  That is especially so in local churches.  The object gets the name Chrismon from the phrase Christ’s Monogram.  The name refers to the symbols that adorn the tree.  The tree itself is evergreen, and usually quite large.  It has lights, but only white, symbolizing the coming of God’s Light into the world.  The emblems, the chrismons, are white and gold.  White is the liturgical (or Church) color for Christmas and symbolizes that Jesus was pure and perfect. Gold symbolizes His Majesty and Glory.  There are dozens of Chrismon designs, but they usually fall into six categories: prophesy symbols, nativity symbols, passion symbols, Trinity symbols, church (institutional) symbols and sacramental symbols.

The Chrismon Tree made its first appearance in Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia in 1957.  As it is a more faith-based custom of the season than having a traditional Christmas tree in a church sanctuary, many local congregations have adopted the Chrismon Tree.  The monograms are usually home-made (though they are also commercially available).  Many local churches have ornaments that they exhibit with great pride as they were painstakingly produced by members of these churches.

The Advent Calendar

One of the more family-friendly customs of Advent is the Advent Calendar.  This is a calendar that offers a kind of countdown from the beginning of the season until Christmas Eve (or Christmas Day, depending on the calendar).  These come in all varieties of form.  The most common is made of stiff cardboard with small numbered doors that move a person through the season.  Behind the door there can be a short scripture quotation, or a seasonal picture or some other “surprise.” 

There are calendar units that have more substance.  They can be made of hardwood or other material, and the doors (or drawers) might contain tree ornaments, candy or other treats.

The custom dates back to the mid 1800’s where their use in Germany is well-attested.

Calendars that are used again and again frequently start on December 1.  Since the recent observances of Advent can begin as early as November 27 those calendars that are produced for use in a particular year include the latter days of November.  At one point, our family had a calendar that went through Advent and extended through the Twelve Days of Christmas and had Epiphany – January 6 – as its last door.  If our Extended Advent observance gains any momentum, maybe we will someday see a calendar that begins at the beginning of our seven-week celebration – on or near St. Martin’s Day (November 11).

Our family also has a home-produced calendar made of fabric that hangs like a banner.  There are pockets on the lower portion that contain small pillows with seasonal decorations.  The calendar itself is sewn on the hanging with the numbers 1 through 25 arranged in the configuration of a Christmas tree.  The numbers have a small hook and loop dot on them.  The pillows have the other half of the hook & loop and so can be easily attached to the calendar.

It is frequently the custom in families to have the children open doors or do whatever activity the particular calendar involves.

Sadly, but predictably, the custom is being overrun by the commercial market.  Once you went to a religious book house or store or a card shop to procure this year’s treasure.  Now there are Lego and Hershey’s kisses and Nintendo and Playmobile and every Disney character known to humankind versions of the calendars, and these are truly “Countdown to Christmas” items.

But I have hopes that the tradition, like the season, can be maintained in the hearts of those who see this season as a time of spiritual nurture rather than rank consumerism.

The peace of the Lord be with you.