When I worked at Scheels, Christmas essentially started in November. The decorations started coming out shortly after Halloween, and the leadership team started preparing us all for the rush of customers we were about to get as they came to buy their Christmas gifts. Scheels, and many other retailers, do that because they know their customers. They know that we love to jump headfirst into Christmas as soon as we can. While it’s certainly not a sin to do so, I wonder if we miss something in our headlong rush into Christmas. Not only do we all tend to skip over Thanksgiving (though Scheels at least acknowledges it with great commercials every year), we also tend to skip over the season of Advent, which begins on December 1st.
What is the season of Advent? The word “advent” comes from the Latin word meaning “come in/into.” So, we celebrate Jesus’ “coming into” the world as a baby in Bethlehem on Christmas. Advent precedes Christmas by 4 weeks, and during those 4 weeks, we prepare our hearts for that first coming of Jesus, as well as His second coming on the Last Day. We hear Scripture readings that detail prophecies of Jesus’ first coming, each one becoming more and more clear, bringing us ever closer to the manger. We also hear readings that point toward His second coming at the end. We sing hymns that point us both to Christmas, and to His coming return in glory. How do we observe Advent and prepare for Christ’s coming? Through self-reflection, repentance, and faith. We acknowledge our need for the coming Savior, and trust in the promises of God to send Jesus, our Savior, to us as we hear those promises spoken from the mouths of the Old Testament prophets and read from the pages of Scripture. We trust that God has sent His Son Jesus into the world at Christmas, that He has died and risen again for our salvation, and that He will come again on the Last Day to make all things new. Advent, then, has some similarities to Lent. But these days of Advent are not quite as somber as the days of Lent. This waiting and preparation is illuminated with hope for the coming of our Savior both at Christmas, and on the Last Day.
How else can you observe Advent today? As I’ve already mentioned, you observe Advent primarily by repentance and faith. As for more outward practices, we have our Wednesday night Advent services here at St. Paul’s, as many of you know. Instead of our usual Bible study and youth group time, we all gather together to hear from God’s Word about the coming Jesus, and sing hymns together that talk of both His first and second coming. We, alongside many other churches throughout history, also mark the Sundays of Advent with an Advent wreath. Each candle symbolizes and points us to a different part of the Christmas story. It reminds of the prophets foretelling Jesus’ coming, of Bethlehem being the place where He’d be born, of the shepherds who heard the good news, and of the angels who announced the good news. Advent calendars are also good resources to observe Advent with. They also help us build anticipation for Christmas through the counting down of the days. Some are maybe a bit too elaborate or secularized today, but there are still plenty of good ones out there that point us to Jesus. So perhaps find one of those and share some devotions together as a family as you mark off each day.
The season of Advent both helps keep us from suffering from Christmas creep and Christmas burnout, and it helps us to prepare for the true reason we celebrate Christmas. While many rush ahead into Christmas with good intentions of bringing light and happiness to this darker season, Advent helps us to do that very thing too. As we light the candles of the Advent wreath at church, light grows in the midst of the darkness of winter. As we get closer and closer to Christmas, the Light of the world begins to shine out all the clearer. Our hope builds and builds and then breaks forth in words and songs of praise and thanksgiving that our Savior has come. So friends, there is no need to skip ahead and rush headlong into Christmas. Whenever you decide to put up your decorations, remember Advent as well, and rest in the hope of your coming Savior.
In Christ, Pastor Michael Onstad
