Advent... A Time of Anticipation

November 30th, 2014 was the First Sunday in Advent. For many American Christians, the church year may be a little lost on them. For those of us who lean (heavily in my case) toward the liturgical practice of Christianity, the church year is an annual tour of our faith. It assures that we view the whole of scripture and the entire story of Law and Gospel, refreshing ourselves in the knowledge and listening to the delivery of the Word. The season of Advent is no exception.

The First Sunday in Advent marks the beginning of the church year. It is when we look for the birth of Christ to come, fulfilling Old Testament prophesy and promise.

The word "anticipation" is used quite a bit in connection with Advent. Soon, Christ comes and the Christmas season is upon us. All too soon, in the Spring, Lent and Easter will occur, finalizing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Cross and empty tomb, as our pastor would say, appeases the conviction of death placed upon us by the Law.

Then Pentecost and so forth throughout the year. I, for one, greatly appreciate the design and order of the
church year. Advent is a great place of reflection for me now.

Here is why...

I used to hate Christmas. And I mean HATE it. Even though I was a professing Christian from early in my youth, I had plenty of reasons in my mind to not like Christmas as a young adult. Maybe it was the fact that I had a few close friends die near or on Christmas. Maybe it was the fact that as a young paramedic I worked multiple cardiac arrests under Christmas trees while family cried in a corner. Maybe it was that I was just unhappy with myself and could not stand the fact that so many people got all joyous and happy with the "Christmas Spirit." Maybe it was just because all the bad stuff in my life seemed to always happen around Christmas. I was dumped by "girlfriends" around Christmas... had hard life realizations around Christmas... even started an EMT class within a week of Christmas (and we all know where that has led me!). Maybe it was that I simply did not fully understand the message (not that I, a poor sinful being, can ever fully comprehend the message). Maybe the rock had to hit me upside the head to get my attention.

The change for me occurred a few years after I made the switch from evangelical church shopping to becoming a Confessional Lutheran. Even then, the change in me was slow. Maybe even the number of children surrounding me had something to do with it too. As the family grows around you and having a wife who loves Christmas, it's kind of hard to play out the scrooge role without your bluff being called.

I am a winter person anyway. I like cold weather. I like the season, I just kept ducking Christmas because of bad memories.

Another excuse was used in my head too. I had heard all throughout my four years at a Christian High School that there was no real way that Christ was born in December and that it was an attempt to draw more pagans to Christianity by combining it with Yule. That was an easy cop out for me. "It's not really Christmas anyway."

What really changed this for me was not just the constant external nudging of the kids, the wife or the Christian world around me, but the more I dove into the Word, listened to the words of the Advent and Christmas hymns and attending the additional services of Advent whenever possible (which also resulted in me wanting to attend Lenten services... and then Tre ore and Tenne Brae. I can't include Maundy Thursday in that list as it was actually the first LCMS service I ever attended and had been a long favorite next to Palm Sunday... I digress, as usual).

The depth of traditional liturgy drew me the rest of the way in. The depth of meaning in what is visualized (actually visualized... not any new age or vision casting type idiocy... but connecting what is seen, heard and practiced with the scripture) and the connection of the liturgical services to referenced scripture and practice with a basis going all the way back to the early church and the Didache (the Teaching of the Apostles). Services for me were suddenly more worshipful, more referenced deep learning experiences that when over left me refreshed through the Sacrament of the Altar, less burdened by the things that have occurred in the past few days and more than anything... longing for more.

Our Service Book (or hymnal) not only contains our hymns, but the order of worship for multiple services. Each order of worship is annotated with directly applicable scriptural reference (which for me begs for even deeper study dives). As I learn, I understand more... not because by doing that it would affect my salvation, but because I am filled with the desire to do so. It is right to do.

The more I attend, the more comfortable I am with apologetics, or explaining my faith to others. That used to scare me to death. Now I look forward to those conversations. I have never went to church to be entertained or have a personally rewarding emotional experience and I hope that being a Christian is more than that for any of you as well. It is about the entirety of the revelation of the Word, our condemnation, His sacraments and His grace.

So how does this relate to Advent? I actually look forward to it with great anticipation... Advent and Christmas. When we celebrate it does not matter to me, but the fact that we do is of great importance to me. Stop and feel the reality behind Christmas and what His coming meant then and means now. I now feel the anticipation of the coming Messiah, both as they may have then and as we will know it when it happens again. Advent allows for more worship, more solidity in my faith and more learning about my Creator, Lord and Master. It also allows me to reflect upon my corrupt nature and the Law exposing my sin for which I can do nothing to appease.

Advent is the anticipation of the coming of our salvation.

This year, I am troubled internally because I am teaching a college class that is going to cause me to miss every Advent service. At least this is ended before Christmas Eve where I will attend a late night candlelight service with a demeanor of utter reverence in fulfillment of God, born as man, being perfect, crucified, dead, resurrected and coming again.

Please watch this short video on Advent: http://vimeo.com/112184868



Concordia Publishing House