Occupying Advent

I've been thinking a lot over the last week or so, as I am sure my other collegues have, about Advent.  Advent is the season in which we prepare for, and joyfully anticipate Christ's birth within us.   Each year as we think about Advent at church we try to remind ourselves and the masses not to become sucked into the trappings of shopping and wrapping and decking the halls, but to slow down and center our hearts and minds on the coming of Christ. 

I have read several articles, blogs, and tweets about the downfall of America's economy and the disgust regarding Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.  I agree that the hype of the shopping season is overwhelming, especially since we practically skip over giving thanks these days and move straight from Halloween costumes to Santa costumes.  I could stand in the pulpit and focus on these things.  Yes, it is true that there are starving children all across the world that could use the money we spend on gifts and that is horrific.  Yes, it is true that consumerism runs rampant and that is not the point of Christmas at all!  However, as the pastor of a small congregation who is providing for my household (thanks in part to the terrible economy and job market) I confess that I absolutely DID go out shopping on Black Friday because I could not afford to pay full price for Christmas gifts this year!  And while gifts are not the point of Christmas, showing love to my family and friends in tangible ways is a special moment and tradition for me. And I am not ashamed of that! 

Then of course there is the arguement that comes up each year regarding saying "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas."  I worked in retail for four years and I grew quite accustomed to saying "Happy Holidays."  I have no qualms with this because in saying this phrase, Christmas is included! Why shouldn't we be sensitive to other faith traditions that celebrate holidays at this time?  Isn't that the point of living in a country that 'welcomes' religious freedom?  I don't find it insensitive to my own faith tradition to say this.  I would argue that this phrase does not take the Christ out of Christmas because in fact, Jesus would probably be more than tolerant of, dare I say accepting of the celebration of various religious traditions this time of year.  After all, he was Jewish! 

I guess my question is, where is the balance?  How can we keep our selves from swinging the pendulum from one extreme to the other, all out consumerism vs. total Christian piety? How do we somehow fight the consumerism economy, yet maintain our cultural traditions... and still keep Jesus at the center of our holiday festivities?  Here are just a few ideas that have been brewing in my mind.  One, shop local as much as you can this year for Christmas gifts.  Or, consider giving money in honor of someone to the organization of your choice, buy fair trade items or join with your friends and family and shop for an angel tree.  For some of us, being faithful stewards of the gracious gifts God has given to us simply means that we cut back on the lavishness of our gift giving to those we care for and demonstrate our love in other ways.

As for keeping Christmas Christ centered, this takes more intentionality.  In order to occupy Advent, we need to slow down during this season not speed up. This is easier said than done, is it not?  I'm not saying you should boycott all Christmas parties or vow not to travel this year, but rather spend some intentional time reflecting on the hope that the birth of Christ brings into our world!  Maybe this means you start an advent wreath tradition in your own home or dedicate time each day to prayer.  Maybe this means that as you put up your Christmas tree you thank God for something with each ornament you hang.  As you wrap those gifts consider why the shepherds came to Jesus' side, and why the wisemen brought gifts to him.  The answer I think you will find is two-fold.  Love, love for the child there in the manger and love for the God who loved us so much that he sent his only son.  And second, Hope, in Jesus we catch a glimpse of hope that the world can and will be changed.

Thin Places

Since the beginning of time people from all walks of life have been fascinated by places where the veil between our world and the world beyond is thin.  There are many places in Europe where legends and descriptions of thin places exist, such as Glastonbury, England and The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.  Places such as this make me think of Stonehenge and other places shrouded in mystery.  Images of these sites make me want to re-read Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon.  I believe that people are hardwired to long for the presence of God, to seek places in their lives where God’s presence is palpable; holy ground, thin places.  We learned this from Moses, who needed assurance from God that his presence would go with him; he wanted to meet God face to face. 

Montreat, NC is one of these thin places for me.  I was able to spend just a few short days there a few weeks ago while attending a Wee Kirk Conference as part of my continuing education.  For me, the five hour drive to get there is nothing but a blip in time and the higher into the mountains of North Carolina I climb, the more my spirit elevates as well.  As I drove through the beautiful stone gate of Montreat, I thought to myself, “I hope I always feel this way when I come up here.”  There really are no words to describe my feelings, I’m giddy like a child and yet overwhelmed with a sense of peace at the same time. 

On my second day there, we had a free afternoon.  The weather was a perfect 70 degrees, a gentle breeze and a clear blue sky.  The trees were bursting with every hue of goldenrod, flame, and crimson imaginable.  I have never seen it so beautiful; I spent the entire day outside thanking God for the beauty of creation and bringing me to the place that my soul calls home.  Indeed, when sitting around Lake Susan I feel as though I am resting in the curve of God’s smile. 

I was not ready to come down from the mountain after just two days.  I could have lingered there, in that thin space between heaven and earth where the Holy Spirit seems to dance so freely.  I heard God’s voice lifted in song; I learned of God’s wisdom in the words of my peers, I smelled the aroma of Christ on the wind. 

And as I made my way home, down from the mountain, back to reality, I began to wonder, what your thin places are?  Do you have a place in God’s good creation where you feel the mighty presence of God?  How is your soul nurtured there, how is your spirit fed?  Some would argue that since God is everywhere, the entire world is a thin place.  That it is not the physical place itself but the people that are there.  It is true that God is everywhere, but I know for a fact that there are times and places where God creates just the right combination of elements to make his glory known to each of his children.  Each time I have made the pilgrimage to Montreat, I have found myself on holy ground, where that perfect, mysterious, veil was lifted; where I my faith was renewed and my spirit rested with my Creator.

Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, in the fortieth year, Moses said, “The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain; turn and take your journey.’”