All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head Island, SC
December 1, 2006
Advent 2006 - "a time of preparation."
Thank God there are only four weeks in Advent. In fact, the culture
that surrounds us would give us an additional three weeks in preparation for
Christmas. The cultural, first-world understanding of Christmas preparation,
what Christians call Advent, is primarily about the outward and visible. The
Church's understanding of Advent, however, has everything to do with the inward
and spiritual.
It's not hard to realize which preparation, culture or Church, wins out in the
hearts of people. In fact, it is a popular practice among Christians to make a
resolution (often just after Christmas) to not repeat the frenetic pace that
propels us into doing that which is outward and visible rather than being and
moving ever so carefully to a place that speaks profoundly of the incarnation.
But we have told ourselves, in fact probably convinced ourselves, that that is
impossible...too much shopping, too many gifts, too many parties, too many
''things'' to be done, too many details. In a very clearer message, repeated
over and over again., year after year, generation after generation, Christmas is
the end result of "things" received and given. One could say that "Advent" and
"Christmas" have been quietly stolen from Christianity and, in a unique twist,
Christians have bought into the cultural understanding of Advent and Christmas.
Advent is no longer a period of time that spiritually points us to the
incarnation as a moment in world and human history. Rather, it is seen as the
end of a long and exhausting marathon. Do we arrive at Bethlehem having made all
the wrong preparations?
Now here are some radical ideas offered midway through Advent. Forget most of
the parties and gather together the children and rediscover together the joy and
wonder of your family and marriage. Discover again what is absolutely essential
and beautiful about the persons you love and can't live without Consider that
fewer is better than many when it comes to gifts, even for the children. How
about that one gift that speaks so lovingly for another person, that one
precious gift that has to do with meaning, that has no inherent price tag. And
then, an idea even more radically Christian in concept, the family gift to
humanity...a cow (yes, a cow) for a third world village, or a short-term family
mission trip when the family can pull together for others...so that the children
can see that Christmas is not only about opening presents but discovering that a
gift given is not always tangible and paid for with money.
The message of Christmas is very simple and yet profound: God's supreme gift to
the world is the word made flesh, a gift of a reconciler who knows no limits of
love. How can we take that message and manage to show that outwardly to a world
so desperate for that kind of love?
Let us, as Christians, reclaim Advent's preparation and Christmas's gift of love
into our own faith and values. The world has claimed Advent and Christmas for
far too long. The meaning of Advent and Christmas is rightfully Christian in
nature and rightfully ours to share.
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