Advent

Advent, the season of waiting. Doug and I have already been waiting for months so entering the Advent season seems redundant except that Christmas follows at its heels. In the Christian faith, we are waiting for Christ’s birth. Again, this seems a bit redundant as Christ was born centuries ago. I started a poem yesterday called “Jesus is an Old Man Now”. It’s not finished, but if anyone wants to read it, let me know and, when it’s ready, I’ll send it to you.

So we’re really waiting to celebrate Christ’s birth. I do enjoy trying to put myself back in biblical times when it was all just happening. So many of my piano students are Mary’s supposed age at the time of the annunciation (when Mary was told she would be Jesus's mother). As for me at that age, I was not yet against having children so I may have felt honored. I think, though, that I would have had stars in my eyes; what will everyone think of me? That’s a tough age to be selfless. I picture Mary and Joseph riding to Bethlehem and wonder what they talked about. I hear Joseph lamenting, “So much for abstinence until marriage.” There is a precious carol that is not as well known called the Cherry Tree Carol. In it, Mary and Joseph are riding and Mary sees a cherry tree. She asks Joseph to pick her some cherries because she is with child. Joseph must have been in a mood because he replies, ‘Let him who made you with child pick you cherries.’ God, of course, heard this and caused the tree to bow down to her so she could reach them. Be careful what you ask for. . .

But we are living today so what are we really waiting for? I’ll be honest; I’m waiting to eat my Christmas candy – fudge and fondant. I wish I could offer something more spiritual but that’s the truth. I’m trying to hold off making the candy until next week. One year, I ate so much I put on five pounds in a single month. I have spent the last three months disciplining myself so hopefully I can enjoy the candy sanely. I've been cooking things like Tangy Lentil and Chickpea Soup so that if I can't resist 18 pieces of candy one day at least there were only about 50 calories in my meal.

The Advent season is the start of the church year. We tend to look at the start of our year as a time to get going. We set goals and take off with the best of intentions to better ourselves and our life. It is interesting to me that the church year begins with waiting. Like we’re supposed to THINK or something before we get going.

Advent is also for preparation. In the Christian faith we are preparing ourselves for Christ’s birth. today, we could easily translate that for preparing for His second coming. That’s easy to see. But that has been coming for SOOOOOO long that who really believes that it may happen this year? I don’t. So what are we to ready ourselves for? That answer comes easily to me in my life now. I’m readying myself for Russian classes that begin January 4. For five hours a day, five days a week I’ll be in class. I should mention the three hours of daily homework/lab work. This will be a full time job. I’ve never sat still for that long for a single subject. I truly don’t know if I’m physically and mentally capable of it.

Last Sunday, Doug and I attended Advent lessons and carols at the National Cathedral. We were pushing it on time when we were walking up to this enormous church. We didn’t know where to go. I saw another couple who had crossed the street from the neighborhood and asked them if they were going to the service. They were and said they’d show us the way. Who were we walking with? The Norwegian Ambassador and (we assume) his wife who is one of the canons at the Cathedral! We enjoyed talking with them after the service. If you have never gone to a lessons and carols service – go. Particularly if you have never been to church or it’s been a while. It’s a low key service. There is singing interspersed with readings (some scripture, some poetry, it depends on the church) and prayers. There is normally no communion (or Eucharist) for lessons and carols so if you don’t partake in that, there will be no awkwardness in skipping it.

I tell you this because the priest used another word to describe the Advent Season: yearning or longing. Some people don’t like the Christian scriptures because they are full of “don’ts”. I like the “do’s”. We are told to love. We are told to rest one day a week and do no labor. The Advent season seems like our chance to anticipate. If we allow that the preparation of the season is internal rather than external, we could really get in a nice rest. Doug and I don’t know what we’ll do for Christmas this year. We will be away from our family and friends. Though Doug’s classmates invited us (and others) for Thanksgiving, Christmas seems to me more intimate and I don’t expect an invitation. This will be a good chance for us to truly have a holy Christmas. Since we have no expectations and no one has any of us, we can relax. Think about this as you say to yourself “There’s too much to do, I can’t relax now.” Be honest and answer: What expectations do you put on others at Christmas time? What expectations are truly put on you? You may be doing much more than is necessary. When I was a child, I expected gifts from my parents and I expected certain food. So, certainly, there may indeed be expectations. What would it be like to celebrate a different Christmas? Who would really miss having EVERY particular food item on the table? Let those preparations you must have (like the fudge and the fondant) be a participatory activity. If your family or friends don’t like that idea, tell them the story of the Little Red Hen.

I actually look forward to making candy. I thoroughly enjoy making the fudge. The fondant is a mixed bag. It’s hard work. There is an incredible amount of stirring the thick cream center. The rolling and dipping must be timed just right and it gets tedious after a few dozen. But as I see the shiny dipped chocolates with the cherry or walnut on, top it’s such a happy sight it makes my mouth water – NO! I mean it makes me want to continue and (with the proper frame of mind or Christmas music playing) the tedium becomes a blessed ritual. What else can I do that with in my life? What tedium can you make blessed ritual? What expectations can you release? What will Christmas be this year?