And now for the final installment of my advent musings.
I know I've missed a week and for anyone who actually reads and was disappointed I apologize. To be honest I've been very bad at my advent plans. I was absolutly dreadful at keeping my advent reading schedule, both in scripture and in devotionals, but I did continue the advent fasting and tried to focus my volitional 'christmas' music listening to only those songs that were adventy. Despite some consitency my advent planning and thinking came to a great hypocritical head today - I skipped church. Not only did I skip church, but I skipped it to attend a Buffalo Bills game.
No chastizement is necessary. Although I greatly looked forward to spending time with a good friend at the game (who obtained freakin sweet free tickets) I was almost sick to my stomach the whole day before (and of) the game at the thought of missing church on the last Sunday of Advent - especially when it falls on Christmas Eve. Despite my thoughts to the contrary I went to the game because I thought it would be wrong to bail on a close friend but I'm glad I went. Not only did I have a great time at the game but missing church gave me even greater zeal to attend our church's Christmas Eve service.
The way our church structures the Christmas Eve service is fairly unique (though individualistic) the sanctuary is dimmly lit and you can come and go as you please between the given times. There is music playing through the system quietly and you are encouraged to come, pray, read scripture, and meditate as a family or individual until you want to stop and then you can come forward to the front and the Pastor will serve you the Eucharist. Maybe it's not too individualistic, maybe I only conceive of it that way because I'm the only one in my family who goes... but alas I digress.
So in this time at the service I was able to finish my advent reading of Lamentations, through which the Lord spoke to me greatly. I don't really know how to recap it except to say that it is worth sitting down and reading in one sitting especially when read through the advent lens of expectation, longing, waiting, and promise of the second coming. God spoke mightily and it really strengthened and uplifted me. After reading Lamentations I spent some time in prayer, yet another thing that I have been dreadful at, and then read through the earliest creeds of the church - those found throughout the NT (in books like: Philipians, Hebrews, Ephesians, etc). I then capped this time off by reading the Nicene Creed and meditating on the incarnation, the Trinity, and the promised second coming in which he will come to judge the quick and the dead. My heart was so blessed. This may be one of the most focused and powerful Advent seasons I've ever had.
As far as what I've been thinking about posting for the last week before today's happening it would simply be: Maran atha. "Our Lord Come!"
I compiled a cd for myself of Advent songs and worship songs that are themed similar to Advent and listening to it just makes my heart cry out 'Come Lord Jesus!'
Other than that I don't really have profound to share. This little Advent experiment has been fantastic. Although I sucked at being disciplined through most of it, the fact that I tried to focus my thoughts even when I wasn't doing the readings helped to put Advent and Christmas in persepective. It was very good.
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Oh, I just rememebred something I was going to post earlier. The other day I was driving and turned on the radio and the first thing I heard on the Christian station up here was a song (albeit intended to be humorous) lamenting the fact that all the signs in the Mall are "Happy Holidays" and not "Merry Christmas." I promptly turned the radio off for the rest of the day while driving around delivering flowers and began to think about this. I came to the conclusion and I could be wrong, so feel free to add your two cents, that Christians have no right to lament the loss of Christmas phrasology.
We have no right when we do nothing different than the secular world. If we as Christian choose to ignore the Christian calendar, of which Christmas is a part, then we have no business decrying society. If we are going to ignore advent with which comes fasting, penitence, and prayerful longing, then what context do we have in which to place Christmas? Yes Christmas is a feast day (as are the days following it) but that does not give us the excuse to partake in cosumeristic whoremongering and party like its 1999 (to quote Prince). We are a people not of this world, and we are a people who are called to live and place oursevles in a world that longs for the Bridegroom. If we party the year away with the heathens then how can we have any context to truly and adequately celebrate any of the prescribed feasts of the Church Year. We cannot fully partake in Christmas unless we fully partake in advent. Likewise we cannot fully partake in Easter unless we prepare ourselves with Lent. And while these are man-made suggested and edifying, though not required seasons, how can we really ever fully partake in the second coming of our Lord and Savior if we have not become aquainted with the longing, unfulfillment, and brokeness that comes from being part of a world that is not our own?
I would write more but I have to get ready for the midnight service at the local UMC. I hope to write in the next few days concerning Christmas music and just some general things.
Remember Our Lord is Coming!! Come Lord Jesus!! Amen.
Peace and blessings,
Ben
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Advent II
Ok this is going to be quick because I have finals to study for.
I have to confess that I'm behind on all of my readings for lent. I allowed frantic paper writing to dominate my life for the past few days and thus I don't have a lot to reflect on as far as the readings go.
I've been thinking about something concerning advent since I made the last post and then it was reemphasized by a conversation I had with my friend Tony. How do we find the right balance in the tension between focusing on the parts of history where we long for the Messiah to come (cf. my last post) and the fact that we are a people living in the light of the ressurection. Is it appropriate for us to sing "O Come Emmanual" and "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" on a sunday in advent? Each Sunday is indeed a ressurectional day is it not?
Is the tension resolved if we strictly focus on the second coming of our Messiah? I think part of it is resolved but not fully.
Maybe I should just learn to be content with the whole of the church year being paradoxical. In Advent we have the above tension. In lent we think of ourselves in a pre-easter tense while living in the post-Easter light, and in eastertide we remember before Pentecost yet we still practice the charisms bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit who came in power on Pentecost.
So maybe the whole church year is paradoxical, maybe that's fine, that still doesn't negate the edification that comes with emphasizing the appropriate things for each season.
On a side note: I put all my christmas music on my computer and separated it into two playlists, one for advent and one for Christmas. I currently have 10 songs in my advent list and about 40 in my Christmas one. This includes having "O Come Emmanual" in there about 3 times by different artists. So when I get a chance I'm going to go through my worship songs and see which ones I can add to my advent list - songs like "Sing to the King," and "These are the days of Elijah." Although these aren't advent songs persay at a casual glance they might fit the theological themes and thus can be effectively used for advent. We'll see how it goes.
Blessings,
Ben
I have to confess that I'm behind on all of my readings for lent. I allowed frantic paper writing to dominate my life for the past few days and thus I don't have a lot to reflect on as far as the readings go.
I've been thinking about something concerning advent since I made the last post and then it was reemphasized by a conversation I had with my friend Tony. How do we find the right balance in the tension between focusing on the parts of history where we long for the Messiah to come (cf. my last post) and the fact that we are a people living in the light of the ressurection. Is it appropriate for us to sing "O Come Emmanual" and "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" on a sunday in advent? Each Sunday is indeed a ressurectional day is it not?
Is the tension resolved if we strictly focus on the second coming of our Messiah? I think part of it is resolved but not fully.
Maybe I should just learn to be content with the whole of the church year being paradoxical. In Advent we have the above tension. In lent we think of ourselves in a pre-easter tense while living in the post-Easter light, and in eastertide we remember before Pentecost yet we still practice the charisms bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit who came in power on Pentecost.
So maybe the whole church year is paradoxical, maybe that's fine, that still doesn't negate the edification that comes with emphasizing the appropriate things for each season.
On a side note: I put all my christmas music on my computer and separated it into two playlists, one for advent and one for Christmas. I currently have 10 songs in my advent list and about 40 in my Christmas one. This includes having "O Come Emmanual" in there about 3 times by different artists. So when I get a chance I'm going to go through my worship songs and see which ones I can add to my advent list - songs like "Sing to the King," and "These are the days of Elijah." Although these aren't advent songs persay at a casual glance they might fit the theological themes and thus can be effectively used for advent. We'll see how it goes.
Blessings,
Ben
Monday, December 04, 2006
Some thoughts on Advent: Part I
I will try over the next few weeks to make at least a weekly post about Advent, and since Advent officially started yesterday - I thought today would be a good day to start.
I ran sound yesterday at an "Advent Vespers" choir concert put on by our "Singing Seminarians" (yes it is a lame name but that's what they call themselves) and after the concert JD (our Dean of the Chapel) made the comment to me that it was very Christmasy. I agree, we sang all the good Christmas songs: Joy to the World, the Hallelujah Chorus, O Holy Night, etc. But the point JD was trying, was not that it was Christmasy but rather that it wasn't adventy. Now this was certainly true - the only advent song that we sang was O Come Emmanuelle.
I'm not trying to criticize the Singing Sems. but I do think that their concert is indicative of the general praxis of the Church. We rush to Christmas, we ignore Advent, and for all practical purposes the child is already born. To be sure, Christ was born, suffered, died, was buried, rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, but in the sense of the Christmas season - the Church Year in which we place ourselves - he is not born of a virgin... yet. In the context of placing ourselves in the narrative of Christian history the Child is not born and the messiah has not come into the world. We are still longing, we are still in the dark, as opposed to the light - an image heralded during Advent.
This concept of rushing to Advent got me thinking. Wouldn't be more appropriate if we waited till after Christmas to turn on our lights or plug in our Christmas tree? How about music, wouldn't it me more theologically significant to only sing songs like " O come O Come Emmanuel," or "let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" until Christmas and then break into songs such as: Joyful Joyful, O Holy Night and the like. Wouldn't it be telling if we stripped our churches instead of decorating them and then usher in the decorations on Christmas morning as a family of faith and truly Deck the Halls? It seems to me that a resounding answer to these questions is YES.
It's these thoughts that have helped me focus my scripture reading for advent. I'm reading through the book of Lamentations during this period. I know that lamentations may be typically associated with Lent, but I also think it may be appropriate for advent - especially if we read it with the thoughts that the Messiah has not yet come. Not only do we read Lamentations as work from the exile period where the people of God are displaced and not beholding the chief signifier of the promise, but they are also without the promised prophet like Moses and Messiah. The longing/morning is chief in this text and I think it may help us (read: me) focus on the absence of Messiah (read: Christ) and then truly experience the Joy on Christmas day.
Usually I'm burned out on Christmas music by Christmas day and don't want to listen to it anymore. I know it's mostlly unavoidable but I'm trying to use these thoughts to spur me on to not listening to Christmas music that is non-advent before Christmas. I think if I compiled the songs that are theologically advent orient from the 5 Christmas albums that I own I may be able to get 5 or 6 songs so I guess that will have to suffice. I may get sick of them, but I think this little experiment into advent will nourish my soul and prove to be life-giving.
If you want to read along with me I'm reading 5 verses of Lamentations a day and also reading two readers: Watch for the Light and Welcoming the Giver of All Good Gofts. Reflections for Advent. Excerpts from the Works of Fr. R. Cantalamessa. (note the second link is all I could find and it is on page 16 of the catalogue).
Well that's it for now, Like I said I'll try to post some advent thoughts on some of my readings or just random thoughts.
Blessings,
Ben
I ran sound yesterday at an "Advent Vespers" choir concert put on by our "Singing Seminarians" (yes it is a lame name but that's what they call themselves) and after the concert JD (our Dean of the Chapel) made the comment to me that it was very Christmasy. I agree, we sang all the good Christmas songs: Joy to the World, the Hallelujah Chorus, O Holy Night, etc. But the point JD was trying, was not that it was Christmasy but rather that it wasn't adventy. Now this was certainly true - the only advent song that we sang was O Come Emmanuelle.
I'm not trying to criticize the Singing Sems. but I do think that their concert is indicative of the general praxis of the Church. We rush to Christmas, we ignore Advent, and for all practical purposes the child is already born. To be sure, Christ was born, suffered, died, was buried, rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, but in the sense of the Christmas season - the Church Year in which we place ourselves - he is not born of a virgin... yet. In the context of placing ourselves in the narrative of Christian history the Child is not born and the messiah has not come into the world. We are still longing, we are still in the dark, as opposed to the light - an image heralded during Advent.
This concept of rushing to Advent got me thinking. Wouldn't be more appropriate if we waited till after Christmas to turn on our lights or plug in our Christmas tree? How about music, wouldn't it me more theologically significant to only sing songs like " O come O Come Emmanuel," or "let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" until Christmas and then break into songs such as: Joyful Joyful, O Holy Night and the like. Wouldn't it be telling if we stripped our churches instead of decorating them and then usher in the decorations on Christmas morning as a family of faith and truly Deck the Halls? It seems to me that a resounding answer to these questions is YES.
It's these thoughts that have helped me focus my scripture reading for advent. I'm reading through the book of Lamentations during this period. I know that lamentations may be typically associated with Lent, but I also think it may be appropriate for advent - especially if we read it with the thoughts that the Messiah has not yet come. Not only do we read Lamentations as work from the exile period where the people of God are displaced and not beholding the chief signifier of the promise, but they are also without the promised prophet like Moses and Messiah. The longing/morning is chief in this text and I think it may help us (read: me) focus on the absence of Messiah (read: Christ) and then truly experience the Joy on Christmas day.
Usually I'm burned out on Christmas music by Christmas day and don't want to listen to it anymore. I know it's mostlly unavoidable but I'm trying to use these thoughts to spur me on to not listening to Christmas music that is non-advent before Christmas. I think if I compiled the songs that are theologically advent orient from the 5 Christmas albums that I own I may be able to get 5 or 6 songs so I guess that will have to suffice. I may get sick of them, but I think this little experiment into advent will nourish my soul and prove to be life-giving.
If you want to read along with me I'm reading 5 verses of Lamentations a day and also reading two readers: Watch for the Light and Welcoming the Giver of All Good Gofts. Reflections for Advent. Excerpts from the Works of Fr. R. Cantalamessa. (note the second link is all I could find and it is on page 16 of the catalogue).
Well that's it for now, Like I said I'll try to post some advent thoughts on some of my readings or just random thoughts.
Blessings,
Ben
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