The non-denominational material produced to help churches with Sunday services often focuses on aspects of the Christmas story before Christmas. Anglicans can tend to get a bit uppity about that saying that it is the season of advent not the season of Christmas, notwithstanding the ubiquitous 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas' adverts on TV.
As ever with Anglicans they make one point and miss another.
Here's the thought. If you only do advent material up until December 24th then you end up doing your Christmas worship and teaching in the season of Christmas, that is post 25/12 when lots of people choose not to go to church.
So I'll drink to a bit of blurring (rather than blurring after a bit of drinking) and say let's anticipate Christmas in December and look back at advent in January. Put on your tea towels brothers and sisters - it's beginning to look a lot like Christvent.
2 comments:
Golly, does everyone but me really agree with this?! All my friends and acquaintances, churchgoers or not, have been bewailing the long weeks of hype in the run-up to Christmas. We're all sick of carols and tinsel well before the Day itself - and church, with the more astringent season of Advent (a fast season by tradition, so no chocolate in _my_ advent calendar!) should be a blessed relief. (Quite comical coming from you, St, since your congregation is the only one in the church to have taken an advent theme this year - though the archdeacon did give us a valued respite from Admas at 9.00 this morning!)
Look back at advent in January? I bet we don't. By then we'll be aping the capitalist world once more and crunching our creme eggs in long weeks of drawn-out anticipation of Easter. Chocolate Easter, of course!
now isn't that interesting cos I dont think there has been enough about Christmas in church. It seems to me that I know all about Advent (having been a good anglican for many years!) however would love to sing some of the lovely christmas carols in church more than just the carol service. So no, even as a primary school teacher, I dont ever tire of the Christmas season but wish it were longer in church.
Debbie K (must remember my login password)
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