The Colors of Advent

 

The liturgical colors that churches employ in the observance of Advent have become a point of contention in recent times.  Through the history of the church violet (or purple) has been a traditional color for the season.  In times when the church emphasized self-denial, fasting or penitence (as Advent was seen as a reflection of Lent, preparing for Christmas as Lent prepares for Easter in the theologies of the day) black was employed.  There is a long history of the use of blue in Advent, although the widespread display of this color waxed and waned through the centuries.  Blue is a color associated with Mary the Mother of Jesus in church iconography.  It is a representation of hope in the color palate of Christian symbolism.  The use of blue is enjoying a resurgence in recent years.  This is due in part to the re-defining of some Advent theologies by the Second Vatican Council in 1963.  Communions outside the Catholic community have adapted the Roman position and have embraced much of the current Advent thinking of Catholicism.  So, the fabric hangings that adorn our communion tables, lecterns and pulpits are blue in more and more churches.  Likewise, the stoles and other vestments that clergy wear during worship are more frequently blue in contemporary settings.

The color of candles in Advent wreathes is far from consistent.  Different geographical settings have (as might be expected) their own practices.  Northern European influence often results in candles that are all red on the outer ring of the wreath.  Many congregations that have recently established traditions use three violet (purple) candles and one rose candle (that is frequently misidentified as “pink.”)  Those not familiar with traditional church practices will often light the three violet candles on the first three Sundays of the season, and then light the fourth – rose – candle as a kind of “transitional” color between the solemn hues of violet and the joyful colors that we associate with Christmas.

In fact, the tradition of the rose candle is that it is lighted on the third Sunday of Advent.  You have to stay with me here: the lighting of the rose color on that day goes back to the time when Advent was thought to mirror Lent.  The third Sunday in Lent is Gaudete Sunday (GAW-di-tay).  It is a Latin term that we translate “rejoice.”  It is the initial word in the Catholic liturgy for that day.  On this occasion in medieval Catholicism, the Pope would give a golden rose to the favorites in his court.  So, on the third Sunday of Lent, the gift of a rose gave rise to the use of rose-colored fabrics in worship on that day as a kind of break in the solemnity of Lent.  As Lent influenced the observance of Advent, the rose color came to be associated with the third Sunday   of Advent.  Thus, the contemporary appearance of a rose candle in our Advent wreathes.   As this rationale has come to be rejected, a fourth violet candle frequently replaces the rose candle. 

Other wreathes use four blue candles, employing the imagery of that color that is also used in paraments and vestments.  The use of three blue and one rose candle has nothing historically or theologically to recommend it.

The First Sunday of Advent

We come to the beginning of a new year.  Not the calendar year, of course.  2019 will be upon us quickly enough.  December 2 marks the beginning of the Christian Liturgical Year.  The Western Church reckons time a little differently than secular observers.  So, we start a new year four Sundays before December 25 – Christmas.

 Advent literally means “to come” (from the Latin advenio).  The season is a many-layered period.  The church, all at the same time, anticipates the physical birth of Jesus, placing him in time and space.  The community of faith also begins the yer-long observance of the coming of the Savior of the world into human history.  In addition, believers look forward to the return of the exalted Son of Man in glory.  Lawrence Hull Stookey (Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church, Nashville, Abingdon 1996) observes, “What may seem to be an anomaly is a very important theological point.  The beginning pf the liturgical year takes our thinking to the very end of things.” (p. 121)

 The friction in this time is that this is not the “Christmas Season.”  The retailers have been huckstering STUFF since the Fifth of July.  But the church does things differently.  Advent is a time of introspection.  It is a time of expectancy.  It is a time of not getting in a hurry.

 Time will pass quickly enough.  I look to enjoy the anticipation.

Christmas Eve

 Somewhere around noon today we will make the transition from the last Day of Advent to Christmas Day.  Tradition has held that the Christmas Vigil or Christmas Eve worship service begins at midnight, as we migrate from Advent to Christmas proper.  But, as practical or convenience influences have taken root, Christmas Eve services occur ever earlier in the day.  One congregation that I serve has a tradition of a 4 p.m. service.  It allows things to be just dark enough to be able to hold a candlelight service.

But we have tried so very hard since November 10 not to be in a hurry.  Let’s don’t give up on the season quite yet.

There’s still one more sleep ‘til Christmas.

If you don't know the reference, it is here.

The Gift of the Magi

 I remember being required (compelled) to read The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry when I was in school.  It was OK.  It was a little moralistic.  It demonstrated that all happy endings do not look alike.  I did alright on the test.  I moved on.

Funny thing, though.  If I listed all of the pieces of literature I read while in school, the number would be quite high.  (Not nearly as high as some readers I know, but that’s another story.)   But, truth be known, I don’t think about most of those books and stories nearly as often as I think of O. Henry’s work.  It is not that I quote the book in every sermon.  I don’t reference it in each conversation I hold.  But I have never eluded it.  The gift is not the watch chain, or the combs.  It is love.

A lot of people classify this as a Christmas story.  I am not here to quibble with that.  But I observe that the action, the tension of the story occurs immediately prior to December 25.  So, I think of it as an Advent story.  And I read it again this year.

You can read the story here.

The Seventh O Antiphon – O King of the Gentiles

 O KING OF THE GENTILES and their desired One, 

Cornerstone that makes both one:

Come, and deliver us whom you formed out of the dust of the earth.

Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Some translations render this opening line as “King of Nations.”  While we could spend a lot of time on this differentiation, the spirit in the Antiphons is the same.  There is an understanding that the several titles for the Messiah that the Antiphons employ up to this point have tended to hold their significance for the Hebrews alone.  “King of Nations” (plural) or “King of the Gentiles” affirms the proclamation that the good news is for all people.

The prophets foretold such: For a child has been born for us, a son given us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  This is an oft-quoted word from  Isaiah 9:6.  He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.  This foretelling is also from Isaiah.  It is Chapter 2, verse 4.  Among the plenteous others is Isaiah 64:8: But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

The Antiphons individually and collectively are a rich source of worship material and grounds for seasonal reflection.  It has meant a great deal to me to plumb their depths even a little bit in this season.

The First Song of Isaiah

The Psalter Reading for the coming Sunday found in the New Revised Common Lectionary is a portion of Isaiah's first Servant Song.  This is the text of Isaiah 12:2-6 from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible:

Surely God is my salvation;

   I will trust, and will not be afraid,

for the Lord God is my strength and my might;

   he has become my salvation.

 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 
And you will say on that day:

Give thanks to the Lord,

   call on his name;

make known his deeds among the nations;

   proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;

   let this be known in all the earth.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,

   for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

There is a musical setting (below) that moves me a great deal.  I was pastor at a church at one time where the choir presented this piece as an anthem frequently.  The opening lines were sung by both the congregation and the choir:

Surely it is God who saves me;

I shall trust in Him and not be afraid,

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense,

And he shall be my savior.

There are four Servant Songs in Isaiah.  The Gospels appeal to the  figure of the Suffering Servant (especially in the Passion Narratives) repeatedly.  But the lectionary reminds us that this prophesy is also apt for our Advent observance.  It offers an alternate perspective to some of our more commonly-read seasonal texts.

The Chrismon Tree

The Chrismon Tree is a fairly recent introduction into the observance of Advent that has become quite popular in recent years.  That is especially so in local churches.  The object gets the name Chrismon from the phrase Christ’s Monogram.  The name refers to the symbols that adorn the tree.  The tree itself is evergreen, and usually quite large.  It has lights, but only white, symbolizing the coming of God’s Light into the world.  The emblems, the chrismons, are white and gold.  White is the liturgical (or Church) color for Christmas and symbolizes that Jesus was pure and perfect. Gold symbolizes His Majesty and Glory.  There are dozens of Chrismon designs, but they usually fall into six categories: prophesy symbols, nativity symbols, passion symbols, Trinity symbols, church (institutional) symbols and sacramental symbols.

The Chrismon Tree made its first appearance in Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia in 1957.  As it is a more faith-based custom of the season than having a traditional Christmas tree in a church sanctuary, many local congregations have adopted the Chrismon Tree.  The monograms are usually home-made (though they are also commercially available).  Many local churches have ornaments that they exhibit with great pride as they were painstakingly produced by members of these churches.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

 The Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 19

(Light all of the candles)
With the lighting of this candle, the outer circle of light is complete. Gradually, Sunday by Sunday, we have added light until now the entire wreath is burning, except for the center Christ candle, which will be kindled on Christmas Eve. We have moved from darkness into the wonder of Christ's light. We see the realization of the Fourth Evangelists' words:

     "The light shines in the darkness,
     and the darkness did not overcome it."

With the lighting of this fourth and last Advent candle, we have before us a graphic reminder that God's purposes shall always overcome those of darkness. The triumph will take time. The victory is not always readily evident. But, in God's own time, God's will is done. In the Christ event, God proclaims the victory.

So, as our wreath stands fully lighted, our hearts are ablaze with hope, but also with triumph.

For behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

And his name shall be called "God With Us."


Prayer:
O Lord,
Who prepares our hearts for the coming of Your Son into the world,
Ground us in the assurance that the darkness shall not overcome us;
In the name of the One whom You call "Emmanuel."

"Hail to the Lord's Anointed"

“Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” is an Advent hymn by James Montgomery (1771 – 1854).  It is his interpretation of Psalm 72.  In The United Methodist Hymnal and other places, it is set to the tune “Ellacombe.”  The tune is anonymously credited and dates to 1784 where it first appeared in a chapel hymnal for the Duke of Würtemberg.  I first knew the tune as the music for “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” which is frequently employed on Palm Sunday.

The hymn text for “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” is:

Hail to the Lord's anointed, great David's greater Son!

Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!

He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free,

To take away transgression, and rule in equity.

Hail to the Lord's anointed, great David's greater Son!

Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!

He comes in succor speedy to those who suffer wrong,

To help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong.

To give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,

Whose souls, condemned and dying, are precious in His sight.

Hail to the Lord's anointed, great David's greater Son!

Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!

He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth,

Love, joy, and hope, like flowers, spring in His path to birth.

Hail to the Lord's anointed, great David's greater Son!

Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!

The tide of time shall never His covenant remove.

His Name shall stand forever, That Name to us is Love.

Hail to the Lord's anointed, great David's greater Son!

Hail in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!

It is a truly joyful hymn-text that incorporates several Advent themes marvelously.  The list includes the Messiah as standing in the Davidic line, the glorious reign of the one who is to come, release to the captives, forgiveness of sins, comfort, care for the poor, the image of light, encouragement and the eternal sovereignty of the Lord’s Christ.

A little Advent perspective

 

In Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church Laurence Hull Stookey writes:

If you were taught (that) Advent is primarily about the past expectation of the coming of the Messiah, consider instead this -- Advent is primarily about the future, with implications for the present.

It is one of the most difficult undertakings in the church: to break the stranglehold that our recent approach to Advent has on Christmas and to bring about the realization that Advent is a kettle that can stand on its own bottom.

Not only is it a free-standing observance, but it is a dedicated time of embracing that toward which the entirety of our faith points.  A lot of people treat the “holiday” of Christmas much the same as they approach New Year’s or Independence Day or Groundhog Day.  It is a time of some season-specific merrymaking and then it is past.  For the church it is a portion of the calendar in which we embrace a future in which Christ reigns in fullness.  The Return of Christ is the last chapter in the life of every Christian believer.  It is not directly related to anything that happens on December 25 of any given year.  And, when you look at the various customs and traditions of churches all over the world related to Christmas, you find that often they bear little resemblance to what is simultaneously taking place in other portions of the globe.  So, our trees and lights and carols do not directly relate to our end-time hope at all.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m going to sing the carols and eat the baked goods and all the rest.  When it is time.

  

Laurence Hull Stookey, Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church.  Nashville: Abingdon, 196, p. 158.

People, look east

 

People, look east. The time is near

Of the crowning of the year.

Make your house fair as you are able,

Trim the hearth and set the table.

People, look east and sing today:

Love, the Guest, is on the way.

Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,

One more seed is planted there:

Give up your strength the seed to nourish,

That in course the flower may flourish.

People, look east and sing today:

Love, the rose, is on the way.

Birds, though you long have ceased to build,

Guard the nest that must be filled.

Even the hour when wings are frozen

God for fledging time has chosen.

People, look east and sing today:

Love, the bird, is on the way.

Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim

One more light the bowl shall brim,

Shining beyond the frosty weather,

Bright as sun and moon together.

People, look east and sing today:

Love, the star, is on the way.

Angels, announce with shouts of mirth

Christ who brings new life to earth.

Set every peak and valley humming

With the word, the Lord is coming.

People, look east and sing today:

Love, the Lord, is on the way.

“People, Look East” is an Advent carol authored by Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965). She is best known for writing the hymn “Morning Has Broken” (#145 in The United Methodist Hymnal and popularized by Cat Stevens – now Yusuf Islam – in 1971).  The carol was first published in The Oxford Book of Carols (1928).  According to Michael Hawn of Perkins School of Theology, “Key images of the season are abundant. "People, Look East" is the direction of the rising sun and, in the history of Christianity, the direction of the coming Messiah. In stanza two, the bare earth is waiting for the seed that will flourish in the reign of the Promised One. In stanza three, the stars that guided the Magi shape the "bowl" of the heavens, giving signs of hope beyond "the frosty weather." The angels' song, in stanza four, sets "every peak and valley humming," an oblique reference to Isaiah 40:4, "Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low. . ."

It is a thoughtful hymn text that draws its imagery from a variety of Advent sources.  Put all together it is a wonderful piece that deserves more prominence in our Advent repertoire.

The Sixth O Antiphon -- "O Dayspring"

 O DAYSPRING, Brightness of the light eternal and Sun of Justice:

Come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death.

Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

This Antiphon incorporates several references to Jesus.  The Dayspring reference is from The Canticle of Zechariah in Luke 1.  Zechariah speaks of his son John who will be the “prophet of the most high” who will make ready for “the Dayspring,” or Jesus. 

There are multiple references in the gospels to Jesus as “the Light” or “Light,” most noticeably in John.  In chapter 1, vss. 3-5, the writer proclaims, “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”  

In Revelation 21 Jesus says, “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Sun of Righteousness, or here rendered Sun of Justice, is part of the prophesy of Malachi 4: “See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.”

Light and its attributes demonstrate Jesus’ bringing clarity and accuracy of perception into the world.  It is difficult to see in the darkness.  But, when light is shed upon a thing, it is more clearly discerned.  And so, we hear the petition in the second line of the Antiphon:

Come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

The Creche

 

 

One of the more family-friendly customs of Advent is the Advent Calendar.  This is a calendar that offers a kind of countdown from the beginning of the season until Christmas Eve (or Christmas Day, depending on the calendar).  These come in all varieties of form.  The most common is made of stiff cardboard with small numbered doors that move a person through the season.  Behind the door there can be a short scripture quotation, or a seasonal picture or some other “surprise.” 

There are calendar units that have more substance.  They can be made of hardwood or other material, and the doors (or drawers) might contain tree ornaments, candy or other treats.

The custom dates back to the mid 1800’s where their use in Germany is well-attested.

Calendars that are used again and again frequently start on December 1.  Since the recent observances of Advent can begin as early as November 27 those calendars that are produced for use in a particular year include the latter days of November.  At one point, our family had a calendar that went through Advent and extended through the Twelve Days of Christmas and had Epiphany – January 6 – as its last door.  If our Extended Advent observance gains any momentum, maybe we will someday see a calendar that begins at the beginning of our seven-week celebration – on or near St. Martin’s Day (November 11).

Our family also has a home-produced calendar made of fabric that hangs like a banner.  There are pockets on the lower portion that contain small pillows with seasonal decorations.  The calendar itself is sewn on the hanging with the numbers 1 through 25 arranged in the configuration of a Christmas tree.  The numbers have a small hook and loop dot on them.  The pillows have the other half of the hook & loop and so can be easily attached to the calendar.

It is frequently the custom in families to have the children open doors or do whatever activity the particular calendar involves.

Sadly, but predictably, the custom is being overrun by the commercial market.  Once you went to a religious book house or store or a card shop to procure this year’s treasure.  Now there are Lego and Hershey’s kisses and Nintendo and Playmobile and every Disney character known to humankind versions of the calendars, and these are truly “Countdown to Christmas” items.

But I have hopes that the tradition, like the season, can be maintained in the hearts of those who see this season as a time of spiritual nurture rather than rank consumerism.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

The Advent Calendar

 One of the more family-friendly customs of Advent is the Advent Calendar.  This is a calendar that offers a kind of countdown from the beginning of the season until Christmas Eve (or Christmas Day, depending on the calendar).  These come in all varieties of form.  The most common is made of stiff cardboard with small numbered doors that move a person through the season.  Behind the door there can be a short scripture quotation, or a seasonal picture or some other “surprise.” 

There are calendar units that have more substance.  They can be made of hardwood or other material, and the doors (or drawers) might contain tree ornaments, candy or other treats.

The custom dates back to the mid 1800’s where their use in Germany is well-attested.

Calendars that are used again and again frequently start on December 1.  Since the recent observances of Advent can begin as early as November 27 those calendars that are produced for use in a particular year include the latter days of November.  At one point, our family had a calendar that went through Advent and extended through the Twelve Days of Christmas and had Epiphany – January 6 – as its last door.  If our Extended Advent observance gains any momentum, maybe we will someday see a calendar that begins at the beginning of our seven-week celebration – on or near St. Martin’s Day (November 11).

Our family also has a home-produced calendar made of fabric that hangs like a banner.  There are pockets on the lower portion that contain small pillows with seasonal decorations.  The calendar itself is sewn on the hanging with the numbers 1 through 25 arranged in the configuration of a Christmas tree.  The numbers have a small hook and loop dot on them.  The pillows have the other half of the hook & loop and so can be easily attached to the calendar.

It is frequently the custom in families to have the children open doors or do whatever activity the particular calendar involves.

Sadly, but predictably, the custom is being overrun by the commercial market.  Once you went to a religious book house or store or a card shop to procure this year’s treasure.  Now there are Lego and Hershey’s kisses and Nintendo and Playmobile and every Disney character known to humankind versions of the calendars, and these are truly “Countdown to Christmas” items.

But I have hopes that the tradition, like the season, can be maintained in the hearts of those who see this season as a time of spiritual nurture rather than rank consumerism.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

The Third Sunday of Advent

 The Third Sunday of Advent
December 12

(Light the rose candle and two purple candles)

The event draws ever closer. What once was afar off now is only thirteen days away. The light has spread and begins to claim its mastery over the darkness. In John's gospel, we read: "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."

We are in process.

We are moving from darkness into Christ's wonderful light.

We have not yet arrived.

But we are underway.

Today, we light the rose candle. The traditional name of this Sunday is Gaudite (GAW - di - tay), which means "rejoice." It is a kind of break in this season of darkness. We rejoice in our hope, as the promise of the deliverance of the people of God draws ever nearer.


Prayer: God our Creator,
we feel you at work within us
even as we behold the light overcoming the darkness.
Make us faithful
even as you make us complete;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O come, O come, Emmanuel

1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear. 

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to you, O Israel.

2 O come, O Wisdom from on high,

who ordered all things mightily;

to us the path of knowledge show

and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain

3 O come, O come, great Lord of might,

who to your tribes on Sinai's height

in ancient times did give the law

in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

4 O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem,

unto your own and rescue them!

From depths of hell your people save,

and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain

5 O come, O Key of David, come

and open wide our heavenly home.

Make safe for us the heavenward road

and bar the way to death's abode. Refrain

6 O come, O Bright and Morning Star,

and bring us comfort from afar!

Dispel the shadows of the night

and turn our darkness into light. Refrain

7 O come, O King of nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind.

Bid all our sad divisions cease

and be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain

The lyric for this hymn dates to the 8^th century.  It was a poem used as a call and response in the liturgy of the church during evening worship services (vespers, compline, evening prayer).  The poem formed the basis of the O Antiphons that many churches use in Advent liturgy.   In the Latin it formed the “reverse acrostic” ero cras that translates to “I will be with you on the morrow.”  It came to be associated with the season of Advent from its very early days.  The opening line of each stanza identifies a different title for Christ.  The poem was originally a chant that became plainsong that came to be sung to the current tune Veni Immanuel (composed by Thomas Helmore (1811 – 1890).

Psalm 117

           ¹ Praise the Lord, all you nations;

              extol him, all you peoples.

          ² For great is his love toward us,

              and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

          Praise the Lord.

The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) Psalter daily reading is Psalm 117.  It has the distinction of being the shortest chapter in all of scripture.  That does not make it insignificant.  It is a Psalm of invitation as well as praise.  In Advent, when we consider the coming of Israel’s Messiah who became the Savior of the whole world, we see a foretaste of God’s plan in this hymn.  It is not the few, or the many, but “all nations” and “all people” who receive the invitation to praise the One True God.  It is also the entirety of the human race to which God’s love and faithfulness are pledged forever.

A different kind of wish book

When I was a child, the time soon after Halloween brought a much-anticipated event.  One weekday afternoon in that stretch of time a flatbed truck would move slowly down our neighborhood street.  Some high school students would make their trips back and forth from the vehicle to the porches of all the homes.  They were delivering the most wondrous of publications, the Sears Christmas catalog – the “Wish Book!”  The front half of the catalog had clothes and appliances and seasonal trinkets.  But, from the index in the middle of the volume on to the back cover, there were toys.  There were toys of all sizes and prices.  Best of all, it was here that the NEW toys received their unveiling.  Treasures we did not even know existed awaited our desiring gaze.  It was a magical time.

As the years wear on, my emotions are still the same.  Oh, I don’t mean about toys (although I haven’t completely lost my appreciation for such).  I don’t even mean any of the other things that found their homes in that now-defunct catalog.  The stuff is not nearly so intriguing as it once was.  But I am still filled with desire in this season.  It is a desire that this may be the year that as a culture and as a Creation that we might turn the corner and pursue a different direction from the course we are collectively pursuing.  What we are doing to the planet, how we are approaching the plight of the poor, and even how we execute our faith has us headed down a slippery slope.  Maybe this year, maybe, we come to our collective senses and begin to desire more fully the ways of the Prince of Peace. 

That’s my wish.

The O Antiphons

The O Antiphons were originally used by the church during the daily vesper services in the last seven days of Advent.  An antiphon is a short chorus or refrain the text of which comes from the Psalter.  These seven antiphons have come to be used in Advent services, particularly worship times other than the primary worship gatherings in Advent.  They are frequently part of Hanging of the Greens, Lessons and Carols and Candlelight services.  Each of the antiphons employs a different title for Christ.  The hymn/carol O Come, O Come Emmanuel is a paraphrase of the Antiphons.

Modern churches of many denominations employ the O Antiphons in a variety of ways in their worship services.  We are using them in our Calls to Worship.  This week’s O Antiphon is:

                                                                                                                                                          

O EMMANUEL, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations and their Savior:

Come and save us, O Lord our God.

      Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

The Hanging of the Greens

 

 

It is the practice of many Christian congregations to place seasonal items in their sanctuaries in the Advent and Christmas season.  Some of these churches refer to “decorating the church.”  That is an accurate description for what they do and why they do it.

In United Methodist churches and in the sanctuaries of other liturgical denominations or congregations, what happens at this time of year is that our sanctuaries are appointed for Advent.  “Decoration” implies that something is arranged in the sanctuary because it is attractive, or for mere visual effect.  Liturgical churches place nothing in the worship space that does not directly involve the worship of God.  Now, certainly, these can be beautiful.  I am second to none in my appreciation of well-executed stained-glass windows or of worshipful tapestries.  Sappy quotations (no matter what the medium) or secular Christmas trees do not fall under the category of “appointments.”  I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  And without going into detail, I assure you that I have worshiped in some sanctuaries that contained some of the most garish items you can imagine.  But, applying the above criteria, they had their place.

The Hanging of the Greens is a worship service during which the various seasonal appointments are either physically placed or – more often – are interpreted for the congregation.  These appointments include (but are not limited to) an Advent Wreath, evergreens, candles, a Chrismon tree, holly wreaths and garland, poinsettias, lights and bells.  The entire worship service can be a deeply meaningful time for congregants as their “ordinary” worship area is transformed into a seasonal wonder.

It is frequently the practice to call attention to a given appointment, to read a scriptural passage related to the item, to have the element interpreted and then to have a piece of seasonal music, either congregational or offered in some other fashion.

The Hanging of the Greens models a practice that we follow all too seldom: the regular and specific interpretation of sanctuary appointments – seasonal or permanent – for our churches.  Maybe we can embrace that paradigm more fully.