Comedic Pundits like Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart constantly celebrate Advent by mockingly referring to what Social Conservatives would call "The War on Christmas", which they see as emblematic of American society's rejection of Christianity. It would shock many to know that the first people who warred against Christmas were not post-60's liberals however, but one of … [Read more...]
Christian Fasting
As I was considering more and more Advent spiritual disciplines and practices throughout the Holy History of the Christian Church I began to ruminate on fasting. One thing I learned quickly in the Roman Catholic Church was that fasting did not simply mean abstaining from all food for a whole day. As a young Baptist, this is what I was taught fasting consisted of, though I … [Read more...]
Advent Wreaths
I was planning on writing about these for a while, and sure enough when I studied them, I realized people would think I was rigging this series. Evidentally the Lutherans invented these too! (I didn't know before, honest!) In any case, wreaths are very old, and go back to Ancient Greece and Rome. However, in terms of using them for Christmas, the idea seemed to have begun in … [Read more...]
Advent and Candles in Worship
If you promoted the use of candles in worship as an Advent service idea, some people might get quite upset. Back in the 19th century, a little thing called the "Oxford Movement" was going on, where the Church of England / the Anglican Communion worldwide began to go back to more 'Catholic' or Traditional modes of spirituality. Candles was a common one that the more Reformed … [Read more...]
Prometheus, Hanoverians, and the Christmas Tree
Since I've been writing so much on Advent lately, from defining Advent, to asking what the point of it was, to explaining Advent traditions, prayers, and spiritual disciplines, I thought I'd write more on the Christmas Tree. In the film Prometheus (2012) that came out recently, the futuristic space explorers still celebrate Christmas, and do so by erecting a Tree in the ship. … [Read more...]