A WORD FOR TODAY, November 13, 2023
Peggy Hoppes
We pray you have been blessed by this daily devotion. If you received it from a friend, you can see other devotions and studies by visiting our website at www.awordfortoday.org.
Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 13, 2023
“It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own, or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.” Hebrews 9:23-28, WEB
I have been fascinated by the Advent calendars that I’ve seen advertised and on the store shelves. These have gained in popularity over the past few years. Candy calendars were always available, but now you can find them filled with everything from rocks to alcohol. There are some for the creative person in your life, filled with arts and crafts supplies. There are others that include cosmetics or jewelry. The man in your life might enjoy one with beef jerky or whiskey. Jellies, popcorn, cookies, and teas are popular. I have seen them filled with socks or rubber duckies. Most have a surprise behind every door, but some are focused more on inspirational words and scripture quotations. You can even buy them for your pets! Some Advent calendars are empty so that you can fill each window or drawer with your own special treats.
Most of the Advent calendars are designed to begin on December 1st and end with an extra special surprise on December 25th. We know that this does not truly follow the Advent season, since it always begins on the Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s Day (November 30th) and continues the next three Sundays, ending with Christmas Day. It can last twenty-two to twenty-eight days, depending on the calendar. This year, Advent as we know it will begin on December 3rd.
Did you know, however, that in the early days of the Church, beginning in about the fourth century, Advent was longer. It began around St. Martin’s Day (November 11th) ending with Christmas (seven Sundays) followed by the twelve days of Christmas until Epiphany (January 6th). While it was a preparation for the coming of Christ, it had a more eschatological emphasis. We still see that in the lectionary, with the texts at the end of the church year focusing on End Times scriptures. Today we begin Advent the Sunday after Christ the King, the ultimate moment of Christ’s second coming, but that feast day was not even added to the Church calendar until early in the twentieth century.
We sometimes call Advent a “mini lent” but in the early days it was a season of repentance, just as it is during the Lenten season. Baptism of penitents was celebrated on Epiphany (after Lent it was celebrated before sunrise on Resurrection Day.) The season was designed to help new believers prepare for life in God’s Kingdom. It included fasting and prayer, paralleling Lent. A compromise between merging churches around the turn of the eleventh century led to the four-week Advent. Some churches are returning to this pattern of worship for the days leading up to Christmas.
I saw a post from a pastor recently who heard his local school was inviting parents and others to teach the students about the different holidays during this time of year. He offered to share about Christmas with them, but the school refused. “Everyone knows about Christmas.” The problem, as he saw it, is that few people these days really know about Christmas, even many Christians. We can just look at the examples of “Advent” calendars and see that the secular world looks at this important season in a much different way. Oh, many will tell you it is about Jesus, but they still focus on presents and trees and cookies.
I don’t think I’m ready to put seven candles on my Advent wreath this year, but I have to admit that learning this history makes me understand why we use the lectionary texts we’ll see in the next few weeks. This seven-week Advent started yesterday, and the next few weeks of scriptures will be filled with doom and gloom, judgment, and warnings. The texts are meant to call us from our old ways into the Way of Christ. The coming Day of the Lord might be frightening, but those of us with faith have hope in the story of Jesus. We should take the warnings seriously, repenting daily of the sin that keeps us from living the life God has called us to live. Yet, we look forward to the day when Christ comes again, knowing that by His grace we will join Him at the throne of our God for eternity. In that hope, let us enter this season with joy today, sharing Christ in word and deed with all who cross our path so that they might know that Christmas is about more than presents and trees and cookies.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org
|