by Dcn. Josh
The church’s liturgical calendar begins every year with the season of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas which are one of the most beautiful, hopeful, and formative seasons in the church’s yearly rhythms of worship and witness. The central theme of Advent is the coming of Jesus Christ, in at least three ways.
First, as a preparatory season for Christmas, Advent is a time to remember Christ’s coming in humility in the manger in Bethlehem. Advent is not yet Christmas, but is a time of waiting; we, like Anna and Simeon in the temple (Lk 2:25, 36), long for the child to come in whom all of God’s promises find their “yes,” who is the consolation of Israel and a light to the gentiles (Lk 2:25, 32).
Second, Advent directs our attention to Christ’s second coming, as the Nicene creed confesses, that he is “coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” Advent is not primarily about looking backwards to remember Christmas, but is perhaps mainly about looking forwards to the Last Things.
Advent is a penitential season, a time for fasting and almsgiving, as we contemplate and prepare for the coming of God’s kingdom; it is thus also a time for truth-telling and hope. Sometimes it can become a wearisome burden to pretend that everything is fine and we ourselves are happy during the consumeristic, secular holiday season, when deep down we know that our world, and our very selves, are broken.
During Advent, we join our voices with the longings in Israel’s scriptures for the Messiah to come and set this broken world to rights. The scripture readings in the Book of Common Prayer speak with refreshing candor about the true state of our selves and our world, and allow us to pause from a veneer of having to pretend like everything is okay, when it is not. But the church occupies a very specific moment in the biblical story as we long for our Messiah to come. His definitive triumph over Sin and Death has already been secured, but we groan with all of creation in eager expectation for his victory to be manifested in our lives and our world. The prophet Isaiah is thus read every year during Advent in the Daily Office and often on Sundays, as a word of hope that “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isa 9:2).
Third, the Advent collects in the Book of Common Prayer especially focus on how Christ presently comes to us, especially by his Word. For instance, during the Second week of Advent, we pray both in the Daily Office and our Sunday services:
“Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for
our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and
inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your
holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope
of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus
Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
At the outset of each new year on the church’s calendar, the church’s prayers during Advent remind the entire church of the source of its life, vitality, and mission: the Word of God.
John the Baptist is thus perhaps the paradigmatic character in the drama of Advent, as the forerunner who prepared the way for the coming Messiah by proclaiming the Word of God; so we likewise prepare the way for the crucified, risen, ascended, and reigning Christ to come again in glory and turn the desert of our world into the garden city and temple of our God, when the saying shall come about that “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev 11:15).
So, if you are looking for resources to nurture your own devotional life during the hopeful and penitential season of Advent, here are six categories of resources that you mind find helpful:
1. The Scriptures and Prayer
Easily the best way to spend Advent is to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest Holy Scripture, and to regularly pray. There are many different and fruitful ways to go about that; this is far from the only way. Nonetheless, a very reliable and time-tested way to do so would be to use the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer. It also allows you to participate in “common” prayer, that is, rather than a devotional practice and Bible reading plan of your own choosing that you do in isolation as an individual, you can know that you are praying the same words and reading the same passages as other brothers and sisters around the world at the same time.
If you are not sure where to get started, first simply get a physical copy of the ACNA’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer; while digital screens can be helpful, they inevitably create distracted habits of mind in ways that a physical copy of the Prayer Book do not. Then, please feel free to contact me and I would love to help you learn how to follow the Daily Office! While initially it might seem daunting or complicated, the Daily Office iis ultimately very simple, and from its very beginning in the 16th century was designed for ordinary Christians to be able to use on their own at home.
There are also no shortage of guides to the Prayer Book that have been written, but you might benefit from a new one written on our denomination’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer. If you are pressed for time, there is a podcast that records the prayers and scripture readings for both Morning and Evening prayer everyday; while listening-on-the-go is perhaps not as beneficial as pausing to pray, it is certainly better than nothing!
Additionally, to explore how Anglicans prayed during most Anglican centuries, I heartily recommend the 1662 International Edition of the Book of Common Prayer, which has an excellent guide for how to use it, and there is an insightful podcast from an ACNA priest devoted to expositions of its weekly lectionary.
2. Recent, Short, Readable Books on Advent
Books on seasons in the church’s calendar have been popular in the Christian publishing world in recent years, and there have been several excellent ones written on Advent. I heartily appreciate Advent by Tish Harrison Warren, which is available to listen to for free as an audiobook on Hoopla which you can access through your public library account. Other helpful books on Advent are those by Fleming Rutledge, and Ashley Tumlin Wallace.
3. Treasures from Church History
Advent is a great time to learn from the communion of saints who have gone before us. Of all that might be suggested here, four good options might be this newly published collection of Advent sermons by St. Augustine. Second, in past years I had a practice of reading On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius of Alexandria, which is a wonderful way to prepare for Christmas. Third, the coming of Christ at Christmas was a major theme in the sermons preached by Martin Luther and you might find this collection stimulating. Fourth, you might enjoy this collection of historic Christian poems (many of them written by Anglicans) that Malcom Guite provides guidance upon, whose themes span the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.
4. Resources for Living Out the Hope of Advent
Truly apprehending what Advent is about involves creating a certain disposition and self-understanding for the community called into existence, sustained, governed, and perfected by Jesus Christ. Advent focuses not only on Christmas, but on the Last Things; if you have never read a book before on what Christians believe about death and the afterlife, this book by Todd Billings is very readable and accessible, and this by Michael Allen is a bit more of a challenge but worthwhile. Anglican theologian Hans Boersma’s Seeing God is another excellent book on the hope that the whole of the Christian life looks forward to: the beatific vision.
Very differently, Advent is also a good time to consider how we can be a presence of hope in a dark world. Michael Rhodes’ Just Discipleship: Biblical Justice in an Unjust World offers a great starting place on the challenges – and hope – this involves.
5. Resources for Children and Families
Unlike just a few decades ago, there are now many, many guides and activity books for children and families to use during Advent! Here I am only going to suggest one: our church has purchased access to the group license from Little Way Chapel for their Advent & Christmas guide (here); feel free to access it at the link above, but please do not otherwise distribute it outside of people in our church community (for instance, please do not share the link on social media).
But the way your family observes Advent does not need to be elaborate, time-consuming, or weary-making. Doing almost anything at all that simply involves prayer and the scriptures is far, far better than doing nothing! Do not underestimate the power of hiding the word of God in the hearts of our children and ourselves (Ps 119:11).
If you have never observed Advent before with your children or grandchildren, or whomever makes up your household, my recommendation for something fun would be to acquire an Advent wreath for yourself; if think your children might knock the candles, flames, or hot wax over, get one of the many different wooden Advent wreath toys, like this fun double-sided one with candles for both Advent and Christmas. Then, at least on Sundays, and perhaps at meal times on weekdays whenever possible, light the appropriate number of candles for the week, read a short passage of Scripture, and pray together. This will create anticipation and expectation that Christmas is coming!
Feel free to use a children’s Bible (I like these two; there are other good ones), and for passages of Scripture you could focus on the early chapters of Luke or Matthew that tell the stories of the births of Jesus and John the Baptist, or passages from Isaiah about the coming Messiah.
If you are unsure what to pray, simply read the collect for that week from the Book of Common Prayer, or pray the Lord’s Prayer, or ask your children to pray and give thanks. Often their simple prayers are quite profound!
6. Music to Reflect on the Coming of Christ
In the Church's liturgical tradition, Advent music often carries a sense of yearning and reverence, echoing the ancient prayers and prophecies of those who awaited the Messiah. This playlist is designed to reflect the themes of Advent: the expectant waiting for Christ, the light He brings to dispel the darkness, and the deep comfort found in His presence. Each song has been chosen to resonate with these themes, inviting you to pause, reflect, and prepare your heart for the celebration of Christmas.
Our Music Minister, Lauren Penn, has created an Advent Playlist for personal reflection during this season.
The collection spans a variety of musical styles, from traditional hymns and choral works to modern worship and instrumental meditations. Whether through soaring melodies or quiet, contemplative tones, these songs aim to capture the essence of the Advent season. May this playlist serve as a companion to your journey through Advent, enriching your time of preparation and drawing you closer to the hope and light that Christ brings into our world.
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