December 4, 2011 · 4:00 pm

Advent Lesson Nine: “On the Shoulders of Giants”

The South Rose Window of the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris

[www.notredamedeparis.fr]


La claire-voie de la Rose Sud

[www.notredamedeparis.fr]

“Under the rosette, the heavenly court is represented by the sixteen prophets, portrayed under the large windows of the bay, which were painted in the 19th century by Alfred Gérente, under Viollet-le-Duc’s supervision. The architect drew inspiration from Chartres Cathedral, placing the four great prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel) carrying the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) on their shoulders, at the centre. This window echoes the reflections of Bertrand, Bishop of Chartres in the 13th century, on the connection between the Old and New Testaments:
‘We are all dwarves standing on the shoulders of giants. We see more than they do, not because our vision is clearer there or because we are taller, but because we are lifted up, due to their giant scale.’

[www.notredamedeparis.fr]

Margot’s Commentary:

In a previous “Advent Lesson,” I spoke about the wise and proper use of lenses.  Each of us uses his/her own lenses in order to view the world.  This is called a “worldview.”  Since it is impossible to view the world without lenses, it is imperative that we choose the lens that gives us the most clear view.  I spoke earlier about kaleidoscopes, magnifying glasses, and telescopes.  Among these, I suggested that the telescope was the wisest choice, in order to see further and more clearly.

We who desire fervently to reclaim, revision, and restore the Season of Advent have received a priceless unopened gift — an inheritance!  Receiving this inheritance is like opening the gift of a high-powered, finely engineered telescope.

“Wise Christians should always be historians in one sense.  They sit higher and can see further, more panoramically, if they enrich themselves from the past.  John of Salisbury [1115-1180] a medieval scholar, spoke of the jewels, the riches, the prestige of antiquity.  He was right.  The past has bequeathed to us its gems.  Note his wise words:

‘Our own generation enjoys the legacy bequeathed to it by that which preceded it.  We frequently know more, not because we have moved ahead by our own natural ability, but because we are supported by the [mental] strength of others, and possess riches that we have inherited from our forefathers.  Bernard of Chartres used to compare us to [puny] dwarves perched on the shoulders of giants.  He pointed out that we see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up and borne aloft on their gigantic stature.’

Our brothers and sisters from the past, indwelt by the same Spirit who indwells us, have left us a rich inheritance.  It’s locked away inside a treasure chest.  It’s layered in cobwebs.  It’s rusty and in some ways not very appealing.  But inside is the wealth John of Salisbury told us about:  diamonds, emeralds, gold sovereigns, and chains of Spanish silver.  If you have ever wanted to go on a treasure hunt, you’ve come to the right place.  We’ve already found the chest.  The hard, laborious work is done.  All we need do is dip our hands inside and let the riches run through our fingers.  Come along, and you’ll be sitting higher and further.”

[Resource for Margot’s Commentary:  Pocket History of the Church, D. Jeffrey Bingham, InterVarsity Press, 2002.]

Note from Margot:

Between now and Epiphany, I hope to share more about this inheritance and how opening this gift will help us to revision, reclaim, and restore the Season of Advent.

Can anyone explain the difference between the names “Bertrand” and “Bernard,” referring to the Bishop of Chartres?

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November 20, 2011 · 6:17 am

Advent Lesson Eight: The Tree of Jesse

The oldest complete Jesse Tree window is in Chartres Cathedral, 1145.

“The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the Ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David; the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy. It originates in a passage in the Biblical Book of Isaiah which describes metaphorically the descent of the Messiah, and is accepted by Christians as referring to Jesus. The subject is often seen in Christian art, particularly in that of the Medieval period. The earliest example dates from the 11th century.

The passage in Isaiah, 11:1 is: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.[1] In the Latin Vulgate Bible used in the Middle Ages this was: “et egredietur virga de radice Iesse et flos de radice eius ascendet ” or “.. a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up…”.[2] Flos, pl floris is Latin for flower. Virga is a “green twig”, “rod” or “broom”, as well as a convenient near-pun with Virgo or Virgin, which undoubtedly influenced the development of the image. Thus Jesus is the Virga Jesse or “shoot of Jesse”.

In the New Testament the lineage of Jesus is traced by two of the Gospel writers, Matthew and Luke. Luke describes the “generations of Christ” in Chapter 3 of Luke’s Gospel, beginning with Jesus himself and tracing backwards through his “earthly father” Joseph all the way to Adam.

Matthew’s Gospel opens with the words: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”.[3] With this beginning Matthew makes clear Jesus’ whole lineage: He is of God’s chosen people, by his descent from Abraham, and he is the “shoot of Jesse” by his descent from Jesse‘s son, King David.[4] The figures shown are drawn from the genealogies in the Gospels, usually showing only a selection.”  [Wikipedia]

Miniature, Jacques de Besançon, Paris, c.1485. Showing 43 generations. Below, the birth and childhood of Mary.

To learn more about the history and art of The Tree of Jesse:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Jesse 

It is worth reading and contains dozens of art images.

“The secular Christmas Tree, and the Advent calendar, have been adapted in recent years by some modern Christians, who may use the term “Jesse Tree”, although the tree does not usually show Jesse or the Ancestors of Christ, and so may have little or no relation to the traditional Tree of Jesse. This form is a poster or a real tree in the church or home, which over the course of Advent is decorated with symbols to represent stories leading up to the Christmas story, for the benefit of children. The symbols are simple, for example a burning bush for Moses and a ram for Isaac.”  [Wikipedia]

This link describes how to use the Jesse Tree in your home:  http://www.crivoice.org/jesse.html

Here  is a great idea for families with children:  You can download a printable kit to make Jesse Tree ornaments.  Right now the kit is free!

http://www.printcandee.com/jessetreekit/

During the 27 days preceding Christmas (the 27 days being known as “Advent”, as it refers to the advent or “coming” of Jesus Christ), an ornament is hung on the tree and a verse or portion of Scripture is read each night.” [from link posted above]

For other ideas on how to create a Jesse Tree or buy a kit, Google it!  

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November 18, 2011 · 1:39 pm

Advent Lesson Seven: The Veiled Crux


Dear Family & Friends,

Recently, I posted the lyrics to the hymn, “Veni, Veni Emmanuel.”   It is one of my favorite hymns, not only for the achingly beautiful tune but also for the depth of meaning of the text.  For, if hymns are “theology set to music,” then we should consider only those hymns that are informed by rich, deep, solid, orthodox, classic, creedal, ancient Trinitarian theology.

Scripture must inform the hymns, certainly.  However, some hymns go a step further:  They encapsulate a view of Scripture that sees the “Big Picture:”  They carefully and faithfully encompass a composite view of a topic, skillfully pulling together essential Scriptures and subsuming them under the great themes of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.  [This is “systematic theology.”]

The hymn below, from a poem by Richard Wilbur, is a particularly fine example.

During Advent, read, study, meditate on the two hymns:  Veni, Veni Emmanuel and A Christmas Hymn.  Critique how the authors use the compositions to masterfully enlarge our view of Advent.  They each give us  “vision tools” to understand what I call the “Veiled Crux” of Advent.

We are too easily satisfied with a kaleidoscope, through which to view Advent:  lots of bright and shiny fragments of color collide, displaying a different pattern every time we shake and turn the cylinder.  Although the patterns are entertaining, we can see no further than the end of the cylinder.

These two hymns, instead, give us the clarity of a long-range telescope, through which to view the “Grand Drama of Redemption.”

Ancient navigators called the Southern Star the “Crux.”  With celestial navigation, travelers must focus on one bright star [either the Southern Star or the Northern Star] because they are unchanging–immovable.  I am attempting here, through this series of Advent Lessons, to offer us reliable tools with which to navigate Advent.

I cannot specify what decisions to make, as regards ordering personal time and space.  I can, however, challenge us “modern navigators” to consider the tools with which we have previously been viewing Advent.  Some of us have used a magnifying glass:  We have focused on the minute details of the Season of Advent, we are overwhelmed, and we have lost sight of the “Big Picture.”

It is time to use new tools to travel!  I advise the use of a Compass and a Map, with which to navigate.  Chart your course and do not deviate.  Do not get distracted by “bright and shiny things.”  Lift up your head and look up to the vast skies:  Locate the North Star, the Polar Star and travel under it’s authoritative guidance.  Do not lose sight of the “Big Picture.”

Here are some questions to ponder:

  • How do these hymns unveil the “Crux of Advent:”
  • What is the Crux [the focal point, the center, the most important element] of Advent?  
  • What significant historical events do these hymns review for us? 
  • Veni, Veni, Emmanuel:  What is the significance of Israel’s history of salvation? 
  • What does Wilbur mean:  “the worlds are reconciled?” 

Coram Deo,

Margot

 

A Christmas Hymn

Words:  Richard Wilbur [born 1921]

Music:  Andujar, David Hurd [born 1950]

And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, “Master, rebuke the disciples.”

And he answered and said unto them, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

~Luke19:39-40

A stable-lamp is lighted

Whose glow shall wake the sky;

The stars shall bend their voices,

And every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry,

And straw like gold shall shine;

A barn shall harbor heaven,

A stall become a shrine.

This child through David’s city

Shall ride in triumph by;

The palm shall strew its branches,

And every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry,

Though heavy, dull and dumb,

And lie within the roadway

To pave his kingdom come.

Yet he shall be forsaken,

And yielded up to die;

The sky shall groan and darken,

And every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry,

For stony hearts of men:

God’s blood upon the spearhead,

God’s love refused again.

But now, as at the ending,

The low is lifted high;

The stars shall bend their voices,

And every stone shall cry.

And every stone shall cry,

In praises of the Child

By whose descent among us

The worlds are reconciled.

[Richard Wilbur, born 1921, is an American poet and literary translator.  He was appointed the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1987.  He twice received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry:  1957 and 1989.]

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November 15, 2011 · 12:11 am

Advent Lesson Six: The Crux of Advent


Excerpt from the book, Letters & Papers from Prison, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

[Tegel] 18 November 1943

Bonhoeffer writes this to Eberhard Bethge:

“. . .  Then comes Advent, with all its happy memories for us.  It was you who really first opened up to me the world of music-making that we have carried on during the weeks of Advent.  Life in a prison cell may well be compared to Advent:  one waits, hopes, does this, that, or the other — things that are really of no consequence — the door is shut and can be opened only from the outside!”

And in 1967, Maria von Wedemeyer-Weller wrote an Appendix to the reprinted edition of “Letters & Papers from Prison.”  Maria was engaged to be married to Bonhoeffer during the time of his imprisonment and his heroic death.

Under the heading, “Life in Prison,” she recalls this about Bonhoeffer:

“He lived by church holidays and by seasons, rather than by the calendar month and the dates on his letters were approximations at best.  He voiced his disappointment that he had not received a letter from me or anyone else expressly for Whit Sunday.  About Advent, he wrote:

‘A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes, does various unessential things, and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.’ [21 November 1943]

Margot’s Commentary:

Is there a better description of what Advent is? Today, meditate upon this essential truth above, written by Bonhoeffer, theologian, Lutheran pastor, martyr and one of the most significant witnesses of the 20th century.  Also, read and meditate upon the lyrics of the Advent Hymn, Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, printed below.   Study the verses and, if possible, listen to a CD recording of this beautiful hymn.

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel

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 thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high, who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save, and give them victory over the grave.

Refrain


O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight. 

Refrain

O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.

Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times once gave the law in cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree, an ensign of thy people be;
before thee rulers silent fall; all peoples on thy mercy call.

Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease, and be thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain

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

Refrain

Words: Latin, twelfth century;
trans. John Mason Neale (1818-1866), 1851


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November 13, 2011 · 10:10 pm

Advent Lesson Five: Margot’s Advent Wreath

Dear Family & Friends,

In Advent Lesson Four, we learned about the rich meaning of the Advent Wreath.  Here are photographs and Margot’s Easy Steps to Create an Advent Wreath.  I used a few of my cherished heirlooms and antiques.  I hope this lesson inspires you to use what you already have in your home!

Step One:  Candles

Purchase your Advent Candles ASAP, so that they will arrive by the First Sunday of Advent, which is November 27!  Here is the website:

http://www.toadilyhandmade.com 

You may choose either one Do-It-Yourself Kit [$30: enough to make three sets of five Advent Candles] OR one Already-Made Set [$18 for five Advent Candles].

Each set includes five candles, in three colors: Three Royal Blue OR  Three Royal Purple — plus One Pink plus One Ivory.  When you order, specify “Blue” or “Purple.”

These are 100% pure beeswax candles, which is very important, both for symbolic, aesthetic, and health reasons.  Trust me on this for now.

Step Two: Candlesticks

Search around your home for five complementary candlesticks.  As you see in the photographs, my Advent Wreath includes two sets of matching candlesticks plus one unique single candlestick in the center.  They are all heavy, clear, cut-glass antique candlesticks, circa 1900. You can mix and match candlesticks, in any combination of material [I like silver, pewter, or glass], height, style, and  vintage.

Step Three:  Container

Gather together the candlesticks inside a container — a tray or platter of some sort — any solid, sturdy material will do.  Choose a container that will allow enough room to position the evergreens.  I use a cherished silver serving tray that my mother gave me decades ago. However, I have not yet polished the tray.  So, for this “photo shoot,” I covered the tray with a midnight-blue piece of vintage velvet fabric.

Step Four: Bobeches

Purchase bobeches, which are round, clear-glass “collars,” which catch the candle drips and protect the surface under the candles.  An antique shop should have these.

Step Five:  Evergreens

Go to your locally-owned nursery and ask if you may gather a few evergreen branches that fall onto the ground, between the rows of Christmas trees for sale.  Now you have free evergreens with which to decorate your Advent Wreath!  Do not be fussy about the arrangement:  Trim off the thick, stiff part of the branches.  Overlap the remaining soft, pliable portions, secure them together with thin ribbon, and bend the finished length into a circle, securing the final shape with more ribbon. The color of ribbon should be ivory, blue, or purple.

Step Six:  Display

Decide where to display your Advent Wreath.  I chose the brick hearth:  the space in front of the fireplace, in my living room.  Propped against the front of the fireplace opening, I positioned an antique mirror.  The Advent Wreath sits on the silver tray, which sits upon an off-white painted-wood, over-sized serving tray [hand-made from wood salvaged from antique furniture]. I like the “drama” of the off-white painted-wood against the dark velvet against the clear glass candlesticks.  When the candles are lit, the tableau will reflect off the mirror and looks beautiful! You will have to use your imagination, as I have not yet obtained my Advent Candles, evergreens, or ribbon.

I would love to hear your ideas on creating your Advent Wreath.  After you create your Advent Wreath, you may rest assured that you have “decorated” your home in a meaningful and thoughtful manner.  For several years, I have not displayed any “decor” except my Advent Wreath and Creche.  [Coming up next:  The Creche or Nativity Scene.]
Remember:  The colors of Advent are [primarily] Royal Purple OR Royal Blue plus white or ivory.  I also use silver.
Coram Deo,
Margot

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November 11, 2011 · 4:50 pm

Advent Lesson Four: Watch for the Light

The Annunciation:  [hansmemling.org]

The Meaning of Advent and The Advent Wreath

By Fr. Dr. Michael Petty, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Tallahassee, FL

“[The Season of Advent, within the Church Year,] consists of the four weeks before Christmas Day.  Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” During this season, we have a dual focus in worship:  On the one hand, we anticipate the celebration of Christ’s historical advent or birth in Bethlehem. On the other hand, we anticipate Christ’s final advent, as the world’s Lord and Judge at the end of history. The celebration of Advent helps us to place ourselves within the context of God’s redemptive purposes: We live after the coming of Jesus Christ, as the Messiah promised to Israel, and before the coming of Jesus Christ to bring his work to its ultimate fulfillment.

This season is intended by the Church to help us keep a proper focus during what has become, in our culture, a frenzied time with a heavy commercial emphasis. We spend this season most fruitfully, not by counting down the days to December 25, but by preparing ourselves to celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God and by amending our lives in the anticipation of his promised return. Advent is a season to slow down, to reflect and to meditate on the great mercies of God. To aid in this process, you may find it useful to read Scripture regularly during this season. Scripture readings for every day of the Advent Season can be found on page 937 and page 939 of The Book of Common Prayer.

The Advent Season comes to an end with the first Eucharist of Christmas, on Christmas Eve. This Eucharist ushers the Church into the Season of Christmas, which lasts until January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany (the Twelve Days of Christmas). Because we observe Christmas as a distinct season, you will notice that we do not make use of Christmas music during Advent.

Advent has been observed by the Church since the sixth century and, over time, many traditions have become associated with the season. One of these traditions is that of the Advent Wreath, a circle of greenery, with four blue candles on the circumference and a white candle in the center. The Advent wreath is a sign of hope; it is greenery displayed during the winter and candles lit, as the days grow shorter.

On each of the four Sundays of Advent a different candle is lit:

The first candle is the Patriarch’s Candle, reminding us of the Old Testament patriarchs who anticipated the fulfillment of God’s promises.

The second is the Prophet’s Candle, reminding us of the Old Testament prophets who foretold the Messiah’s birth.

The third is the John the Baptist Candle, reminding us of the prophet who proclaimed Christ’s Advent.

The fourth is the Virgin Mary Candle, reminding us of Mary’s faithfulness in responding to God’s call to be the Mother of the Messiah.

The final candle, the Christ Candle, is lit on Christmas Eve. As the winter darkness gathers, the light of the Advent Wreath increases and reminds us of the Light of God, shining in the darkness. The lighting of the Advent Wreath is an act of lived hope as the Church remembers Christ’s birth and anticipates his return in glory.”


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November 7, 2011 · 5:21 pm

Advent Lesson Three: Keeping Advent as a Counter-Cultural Practice

Keeping Advent as a Counter-Cultural Practice: [Excerpts]

by the Rev. Dr. Michael Petty

St. Peter’s Anglican Church

Tallahassee, Florida

“In the language of the secular world, the Holiday Season [is] marked by its central liturgical action — shopping.  Any serious Christian who has been in a mall at this time of the year knows the strangeness of this experience:  While Christmas Musak plays in the background, frantic [and often very un-merry] people go about the serious American pursuit of consumption.  This is an important clue to what has happened to our culture:  Christianity, real Christianity, has become a sort of background Muzak to what our culture regards as the real business of Christmas, the business of buying stuff.  It may be Jesus’ birthday, but the throne in the mall is occupied by Santa.

. . . the problem is that the way many Christians keep Christmas shows that it is the Church that has been secularized.  The worst thing about the way the Church keeps Christmas is that she has allowed her worship to be secularized and corrupted.  Many churches and many Christians have allowed Christmas to become the fulcrum of their worship life and, in so doing, have allowed their worship life to become secularized and distorted.  We easily forget that the center of Christian faith is not Christmas, but Easter; Christianity is centered in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection.  The Christian faith is centered not on a generalized feeling of holiday cheer and merry wishes, but around the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

. . . The Gospel asserts that our salvation comes not from the cultivation of good will, but from Jesus’ Death on the Cross and His Resurrection to New Life.  When our worship life remains centered on Easter, we are able to see our identity as Christians truly:  we are not primarily consumers or even Americans, but we are people who were buried with Christ in baptism and were raised with Christ through faith in the power of God [Colossians 2:12].

The secular world may have secularized Christmas, but our calling as Christians is to keep our focus on the Good News of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection.  We can do this by keeping the Season of Advent.  While other people have embarked on a frenzy of buying and are trying to be cheerful for no other reason than that it is what you are supposed to do at this time of the year, we are invited to use this time as a period of reflection, meditation, worship and preparation.  During this season, we remind ourselves that the most important thing is not what we will get on December 25, but the Lord to whom we give ourselves in love and worship.  We should keep this season as a time of joyful expectation, not expectation of what will happen on December 25, but expectation of what will happen when Christ returns.  We need to remind our children [and ourselves] that joy is not in the empty boxes of December 25, but in the empty tomb of Easter.  By all means, celebrate Jesus’ birth.  But remember that, without Good Friday, there would be nothing to celebrate.”

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November 5, 2011 · 3:47 pm

Advent Lesson Two: The Gift of Time

Detail of  “Advent and the Triumph of Christ,” a painting by Hans Memling,  A.D. 1480, which depicts the Life of Christ and the journey through the Church Year,

from Advent to Christmas, from Lent to Easter and Pentecost.

Dear Class,

Welcome to Advent Lesson Two!

Advent Lessons are for anyone who truly desires to “reclaim Advent.”  The lessons are on-line and there is no fee or tuition!  I ask only that you read all the entries, in sequential order.

In Advent Lesson One, we learned that the purpose of the Church Calendar is for God’s people to collectively rehearse and reenact the Grand Drama of Redemption.  Today I will provide some practical tips to assist you, in preparing for the Season of Advent.

Please get out a sheet of three-ring college-ruled paper.  Grab a ruler and a black Sharpie pen.  Draw a “box,” to highlight the margins of the sheet, left, right, top, and bottom.  Inside the box, write the words: “The Gift of the Season of Advent.”     Label the margins,  “Everything Else.”  Post this sheet on your refrigerator or bulletin board.

You have just taken the first step in “reclaiming Advent.”  To properly approach the Season of Advent, we must first view it as a gift which we receive:  It is a treasure, so cherish it, anticipate it, and be thankful!

Please do not view the Season of Advent as yet another “thing” to add to your already-full schedule.  This is the year to receive the gift so — prepare to open a window or door to a  means of grace!

Are you ready for that “breath of fresh air?”  OK, from the list below, add the following dates onto your personal or family calendar:  The Season of Advent, the Season of Christmas, and the Season of Epiphany:  Those are the first three “Acts” in the our corporate reenactment of the Grand Drama of Redemption.  [I have included the entire Church Year, so that you can see it in context.]

I imagine that some of you dear friends are hesitant to continue with the Advent Lessons:  “I just do not have time; maybe next year,” I can hear you saying.  Hmmm . . . may I remind you of the Mystery of Faith?

“Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.”

The Mystery of Faith is the irreducible minimum of what Christians believe, of what we corporately believe.  Implied in the Mystery of Faith is the historical fact that Christ has come!  God with us, Emmanuel, the Incarnate God, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Savior,  the Deliverer has invaded both time and space!

The Mystery of Faith:  Christ has done all of this for us and yet we “just do not have the time” to observe the Season of Advent?

“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?”  [Romans 8.32, NEV]

All time rightfully belongs to the Triune God.  It is one of the “good things” that He graciously gives to us.  This year, receive the gift of time.  Receive the gift of grace.

Coram Deo,

Margot

The Church Year 2012

These are the major dates of the Christian Church Year for 2011 – 2012, beginning with Advent in 2011.

The Season of Advent (November 27- December 24, 2011)

First Sunday of Advent: November 27, 2011
Second Sunday of Advent: December 4
Third Sunday of Advent: December 11
Fourth Sunday of Advent: December 18

The Season of Christmas (December 25, 2011 – January 5, 2012)

Christmas Day: December 25, 2011
First Sunday of Christmas: December 25, 2011
Second Sunday of Christmas: January 1, 2012

The Season of Epiphany (January 6 – February 21, 2012)

Epiphany: January 6
Baptism of Our Lord: January 8
Transfiguration (Last Sunday in Epiphany): February 19

The Season of Lent (February 25 – April 11, 2012)

Ash Wednesday: February 22
First Sunday in Lent: February 26

Holy Week  (April 1 – April 7 [8], 2012, including Palm/Passion Sunday)

Palm/Passion Sunday: April 1
Maundy Thursday: April 5
Good Friday: April 6
Holy Saturday: April 7

The Season of Easter (April 8 – May 27, 2012, including Pentecost)

Easter Sunday: April 8
Ascension: May 17
Pentecost: May 27

Ordinary Time/Season After Pentecost (May 28 -December 1, 2012)

Trinity Sunday: June 3 (some traditions include with Pentecost)
All Saints Day: November 1
Christ the King: November 25

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November 3, 2011 · 8:29 pm

Advent Lesson One: The Language of Time

This painting, by Hans Memling in A.D. 1480,  depicts the Life of Christ and depicts the journey through the Church Year, from Advent to Christmas, from Lent to Easter and Pentecost.

The Good News tells how, for the world’s Redemption,

God entered into history:

The Eternal came into time,

The Kingdom of Heaven invaded the realm of earth,

in the great events of the

Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection

of Jesus, the Christ.

~~~F. F. Bruce

The Language of Time:

“The calendar is the foundation of most of Christian worship . . . There is no better place to begin our investigation of the basic structures of Christian worship than with an introduction to the way Christians use time as a language through which to express their worship . . . 

 

History is where God is made known.  Without time, there is no knowledge of the Christian God.  For it is through actual events in historical time that this God is revealed.  God chooses to make his divine nature and will known through events that take place within the same calendar that measures the daily lives of ordinary women and men. 

 

Christianity talks not of salvation in general but of salvation accomplished by specific actions of God at definite times and places.  It speaks of climactic events and a finale to time.

 

In Christianity, the ultimate meanings of life are not revealed by universal and timeless statements but by concrete acts of God.  In the fullness of time, God invades human history, assumes our flesh, and heals, teaches, and eats with sinners.  There are specific temporal and spatial settings to it all . . .

 

And when his work is done, Jesus is put to death on a specific day, related to the Passover festival of that particular year, and rises on the third day.  It is all part of the same time we inhabit — time that is measured by spatial device, the calendar . . .

 

The centrality of time in Christianity is reflected in Christian worship.  This worship, like the rest of life, is structured on recurring rhythms of the week, the day, and the year.  In addition, there is a lifelong cycle.  Far from trying to escape time, Christian worship uses time as one of its essential structures.  Our present time is used to place us in contact with God’s acts in time past and future.  Salvation, as we experience it in worship, is a reality based on temporal events through which God is given to us.

 

The use of time enables Christians to commemorate and experience again those very acts on which salvation is grounded . . . Christianity builds on the natural human sense of time as a conveyor of meaning by fluently speaking the language of time in its worship.”

~~~Excerpts are from the book, Introduction to Christian Worship, Third Edition, James F. White, Abingdon Press, 2000.

Margot’s Commentary:

Therefore, we, as the Body of Christ, might envision ourselves as “historical re-enactors,” as we observe the Church Calendar Year [see Color Wheel below.]  Each year is an opportunity for us to corporately rehearse the mighty acts of the Triune God and to collectively re-enact the events of our salvation history.  These historical events are linked together seamlessly into the Grand Drama of Redemption, in the same way that Shakespeare composes a play with a specific number of “Acts.”  The Church Calendar Year is a visual encapsulation of the Drama of Redemption:  it is the Language of Time.

The Church Year begins with the observation of Advent, the First Coming of Christ.


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November 1, 2011 · 2:59 pm

The Abolition of Tears



The Feast of All Saints – All Saints’ Day – 2011

Dear Faithful Family & Friends,

Today we remember all who have died.  We especially remember all who have died during the past year.  I am praying today for all those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  May the Holy Trinity comfort them in their affliction.  To those who sorrow, I offer this brief meditation:

Coram Deo,

Margot

The Abolition of Tears

 Revelations 21.1-4 [NASB]:

 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

 And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,

 And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.

 Reflection:

 As I compose this, I await the birth of my granddaughter.  As the “Doula,” I will offer my daughter every comfort, as she endures the suffering of labor.  Finally, her tears of pain will cease, as she witnesses the birth of a new life.

This pattern echoes that in the above passage, which focuses upon the Final Act of the Drama of Redemption.

“He will swallow up death forever.  The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.” [Isaiah 15.6-8]  At the end of the age, the Risen Christ will appear upon the earth but He will not literally “wipe away every tear,” as with a soft handkerchief.  Rather, He will dramatically enforce a radical and permanent solution to the problem of pain and suffering:

At his Second Coming, the Lion of Judah, the Warrior God, the Refiner’s Fire will wield His mighty instruments of Justice, Judgment, and the Sword of His Word.  The Victor, the Conqueror, the Vanquisher will obliterate every result of the Fall and He will terminate every evil, until He defeats the final enemy, Death.

Our Victorious Redeemer, the Author and Finisher, the Alpha and Omega will stand upon the earth.  We will kneel, bow, and worship Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We will witness both the Death of the Old Order, with its grief and sorrow, and the Birth of the New Order, offering eternal life and joy.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.” [Isaiah 65.17]  Christ will reconcile the two worlds — the two spheres – and we will live forever in His presence!

And, finally, there will be no tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Written by Margot Blair Payne, All Saints’ Day 2011]

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