Embracing the rhythm and ritual of the Christian life.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that the purple seasons give most of us a feeling of confusion. Many Christians, particularly those less familiar with the liturgical year, may feel conflicted about a season that is purportedly ‘penitential.’ The problem is compounded further by the fact that any efforts to observe Advent will be completely counter-cultural. Our American economic cycles dominate during the months of November and December, a segment of time saturated with ubiquitous ‘holiday cheer.’

But what is the season of Advent really about? I suppose that many of us would say that it is a time of preparation for Christmas, but might have difficulty narrowing it down to something more specific. In fact, the earliest Roman lectionaries list Advent as the last season of the liturgical year, and Christmas as its beginning. It would appear that one of the early themes of Advent was that of preparation for the eschatological coming of Jesus, something which early Christians expected in a more imminent way than we do today. On the other hand, Maxwell Johnson and Paul Bradshaw have suggested that Advent might have originally overlapped with a three week period of pre-baptismal catechesis that would have culminated in baptism at the Epiphany on January 6. In fact, this three week period was probably at the root of Lent as well. Easter was a notable date for baptism, and Lent probably developed out of a period of pre-baptismal catechesis as well.

It’s all more complicated than this, but the point I’m trying to make is that there are explanations for why Advent has both an emphasis on Jesus’s eschatological coming (his coming in the clouds at the end of time) and his coming as a child in Bethlehem, and that these two themes tend to get all mixed up in our modern attempts to keep Advent. Perhaps one might say that Advent is a metaphor for the whole liturgical year, in that it demonstrates our desire to celebrate and memorialize historical events, while also appropriating the meaning of those events for the future, and anticipating the future conclusion of both past and present.

Here’s a video from Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Communion about the meaning of Advent. Dr Williams succinctly lays out and traces the various threads that are the themes of this season, as well as some of the saints that we have come to associate with this span of time. My family has found this short and accessible talk to be quite helpful, and I hope it will be for you too.

{ 0 comments }