Dear People of St. James’,
Begin again! Look forward in joy and wonder because new life approaches. This is the good news of Advent. This Advent, the Church invites us into a season of examining the hope that is within us, diving into the stories of the unexpected and mighty acts of God for our redemption, seeking justice and peace, and setting our feet on new pathways that will lead us into reconciliation with others.
Over the years, lots of the people of St. James’ have adopted Lenten practices of preparation, but do you have an Advent practice of preparation for the Feast of Christmas? Aside from the chocolate Advent Calendar, which never seems to make it all the way through Advent, I have two favorites. One is the lighting of the Advent Wreath, and the other is the reading of the gospel assigned for the new year.
The lighting of the candles of the Advent Wreath reminds us that we are indeed waiting for something, that we live in the already but not yet. Each service in Advent begins in a way that slows us down and reminds us that we are waiting for something. Normally, you would walk into the church and the candles on the altar would be lit, as a sign of God’s presence with us. But in Advent, we slow down, and each service begins with a candle-lighting rite. First, we light the candle(s) of the Advent Wreath, remembering the ways that prophets, the holy family, shepherds, and magi have pointed us toward hope in God’s promises. We are a people who stand with them still in the not yet, knowing that God will bring a new reality to birth. Then, we light the candles of the altar, acknowledging that God stands present and active within the waiting world, and brings new life every time we celebrate communion and become a new community.
Advent is also a time when we dive into a new gospel that will dominate our gospel readings for the year. Get ready, because this year’s gospel is Matthew. A number of years ago, a colleague of mine invited me to a peculiar kind of Advent party. You walked into the room and there was a circle of chairs. One of them had a stand with a Bible on it with candles on either side. I could tell that I was going to be there for a bit, because there was a table nearby covered with fruit, cheese, crackers, and festive beverages. As you walked in you signed up for a chapter or two to read. And so we began with prayer and proceeded to read and listen to the entire gospel assigned for the coming year – that year it was Mark. Hearing the gospel read as whole story was a journey, made in stages, marked by different voices. In the reading, themes emerged that tied the story together in new ways. The urgency of Jesus’ mission came into stark relief, and we followed him, somewhat confused and winded by the rapid journey, just like his disciples. There were moments when we stumbled upon the humor of the storyteller in some new way that had us all laughing out loud. There were other moments where we shifted in our seats with the uncomfortable knowledge that this gospel was asking us to change. I don’t always have company for my Advent party now, but I do set aside a few hours to read and hear the gospel anew. If you have a chance to receive an introduction to Matthew’s gospel through Fr. Robby’s Sunday morning class, do that. But I would also challenge you to make time for your own Advent reading of the Gospel according to Matthew. What will you discover there that might set new pathways of exploring your faith and your relationship with others for the year ahead?
Happy Advent! Prepare the way of the Lord!
Rev. Eileen
