Today’s newsletter is an introduction to the Christmas season of Advent. We do this not to imitate or join any other Christian tradition. We do it for three simple reasons:
- There is much to learn from each other and so we have asked several people to share.
- We want to take back from the commercial concerns and frenzy of Christmas and recentre it back to Christ
- We recognize that despite what personal or historical Christian affinity you may have, the language of the church year and the season of advent is the spiritual language and framing that over 22 million Canadians understand.
One doesn’t have to embrace advent or other spiritual languages to learn them for their own sake and frankly for sound misiological reasons. Let me spell it out a little more forcefully than that – if we do not learn the other Christian languages in our country from traditions that are in steep decline, then we will not be able to invite those leaving those traditions to our own. It is as simple as that – unless we start robbing our sense and welcome and worship to others, then what we are saying is that you can come to our house for dinner, but you can’t eat that dinner you have been invited to until you learn how to speak our language. I find the examples here to be wonderful, welcoming, historical and faithful examples. Hope we all learn from this.
If you wish any of the resources mentioned in these examples, please contact my associate Shelby Gregg at sgregg@cbwc.ca or 604 225 5916.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy
Mark McKim – First Baptist Church Regina, SK
What I’d like to do is describe a wee bit of what we are doing for the Advent season this year:….
One of the problems, I fear, with many churches is that we buy into the attitudes of our culture often without thinking much about it. The idea of observing Advent, the four Sundays preceding Christmas, as a time of deep, reflective preparation, doesn’t jibe with our culture, which isn’t much into waiting. Everything is to be instant – immediate – if not sooner. But the reality is, very few things of worth are accomplished without practice and patience. You do not become a great pianist without years of lessons and rehearsals, or a great football player without thousands of hours of drills. Michaelangelo took four years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Bach kept revising his “St. John’s Passion” for over a quarter century! Why should we expect it to be any different with matters spiritual? For me, seriously observing Advent is a profoundly counter-cultural action. It’s a way of saying “I will wait on God’s timing, NOT mine.”
Each year during Advent I have followed the practice of choosing a particular theme or subject which might be elaborated through the four Sundays. This year our focus is “The Christmas Story According to……” Scripture gives us four accounts – gospels – of the life of Jesus. Whilst agreeing on the core of the story, each author, addressing a different audience, chose to emphasize different aspects of the life of Christ. It’s much like looking at the different facets of a diamond. Each Sunday of Advent then, we will consider the Christmas story as told by one of the evangelists. We start with Mark (not because of my name!) as it was almost certainly the first of the gospels to be penned. Mark doesn’t have the “traditional” Christmas story with angels and a manager and no room in the inn. Instead, this gospel begins urgently, suddenly – with a roar – as John the Baptizer cries “Prepare the Way of the Lord.” Now then, what does it mean, in our culture, to prepare the Lord’s way? In like fashion, we will consider in turn, the Christmas story according to Matthew, Luke, and finally John, who gives us the “cosmic” or “big picture” perspective on who Jesus really was – and is. On the Sundays of Advent, we observe the custom of using the advent wreath – BUT – we rename the candles depending on the theme for the season. This year, each candle will be named after one of the four evangelists. As good teaching practice, we make every effort to insure that the sermon’s theme is supported by the hymns and anthems, as well as any artwork used on the bulletin cover. For instance, on the first Sunday of Advent one of our hymns will be “On Jordan’s Bank, the Baptist’s Cry” and the bulletin cover will undoubtedly feature the winged lion – the symbol of Mark in Christian art for many centuries. The second Sunday of Advent, being the first Sunday of the month of December, means we will celebrate Holy Communion. That means our two congregations – Karen and anglo – will be worshiping together. (We’ll also be together on December 21st and 24th). On that Sunday, in addition to involvement in serving the elements and prayers, Karen folk will participate with us in the Advent wreath customs…….
One other element of observing Advent at FBC, Regina is that I use my Christmas pastoral letter both to explain the meaning of the season AND to suggest some concrete actions folk may take to observe the season.
Callum Jones – First Baptist Church, Penticton, BC
Being sticklers for tradition we hold our Christmas Eve service on December 24th! 😉
Christmas Eve services at First Baptist Penticton, held at 7.00 pm in the evening, are “traditional” Carols by Candlelight services. Our services are usually a sequence of darkness and light as we make the most of our theatre quality sanctuary lighting. Scripture readings telling the story are alternated with appropriate carols. We begin the service, once everyone is seated, in complete darkness. Even the Christmas tree lights and other decorative lighting are on a controlled dimmer giving us complete control of lighting atmosphere. As we progress through the story the lights are blacked out with a sole spot light on each person who reads the next biblical passage of the Gospel story. We may also introduce a brief drama skit, or a movie excerpt, or a special music presentation that helps provide variety and a different way “into” the story. Finally I will bring a Gospel message that pulls all the components of the service together and inviting all present to consider Jesus, his birth, death, and resurrection. And being good Baptists, appropriate Christmas refreshments are served afterwards.
Some resources we’ve used include a PowerPoint, entitled “Maybe?”, which invites us to consider what Christmas is about (appropriate CD music accompaniment at your own choice). Movies we’ve used include: Pirates of the Caribbean II – the scene with the two pirates in a small boat on the open sea discussing the value of the Bible; The World’s Fastest Indian – the scene with an initial speed trial where the aged New Zealand motorcycle enthusiast shocks others at the Salt Flats by virtually leaving them standing in his old Indian motorcycle (the idea being that perceptions are deceiving and when we look at the baby in the manger don’t think that’s the whole story!). Graham Kendrick’s “Make Way for Christmas” material (it’s dated, British, and probably out of print) can provide some different music selections for Christmas songs – “From heaven You came” is probably the best known song from this selection.
A recent prayer book (pub. 2007) from the Institute of Mennonite Studies entitled “Take our moments and our days – morning and evening prayers for Advent through Pentecost” provides some fresh liturgical thoughts from a cousin to our own Baptist tradition.
Tim Colborne – Kitsilano Christian Community, Vancouver, BC
Kitsilano Christian Community’s Christmas Eve Candlelight Service is in the traditional format of Lessons and Carols. The readings or “lessons” are taken directly from scripture as we follow the story of the nativity. The service begins in total darkness and each person lights their candle during the prelude until the entire place is bathed in light. The service ends, as it began, with each person lighting her or his candle during the singing of Silent Night. Many of our “regulars” are out of town, but the sanctuary is packed with visitors and the “once or twice a year” attendees. This is an important rite of passage for many in our culture and we provide a meaningful and beautiful expression of the mystery of “Emmanuel, God with us”.
Longest Night Service: We advertise this as a service of prayer and meditation for those for whom the Christmas season is a time of sorrow and a reminder of loss. This service is ideally done on the Winter Solstice (the shortest day or, Longest night) but we do it on the Wednesday closest to that day. We offer this service because many people find Christmas difficult because of painful memories or recent the recent loss of a loved one. This service attempts to create a safe place to acknowledge and express the loss and sorrow they feel at this time of year. This contemplative service culminates in the invitation to light votive candles that represent a loss or sorrow and then float the candles in a bowel of water. Many find this the most meaningful service they will attend during the Advent and Christmas season. We have a liturgy available for those who wish it.