"Some Of The Folly of The Traditional Christmas"

 

           We like making new years resolutions what is you biblical one for this year?

Happy New Year Folks:  Well you might think that I am a little early for a New Year celebration.  But did you now that the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas Eve are known as the season of Advent.   And did you know that the first Sunday in advent is actually the beginning of the liturgical New Year for the Christian Church.   Here is something even more interesting: Most Christians today probably can’t imagine Christmas on any other day than December 25, but it wasn’t always the case folks.   In fact, for the first three centuries of Christianity’s existence, Jesus’ birth wasn’t celebrated at all.  The time after his death for at least the first 3 centuries was a time of preparing for his return, not a birthday party. 

 The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was 336 years after His death and it was during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman Emperor).  During the Constantine reign, many of the Judo-Christian traditions we established and are still carried on within the church today.

A few years later, Pope Julius 1, officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December, but the actual date has never been established nor will you find it recorded in the scriptures.   Yet there is biblical evidence within the gospels and other ancient writings suggesting that it was not at the beginning of winter as has become the tradition, but probably sometime in the early spring, possibly April.    

So then, what does ADVENT represent for us and when did this traditions come into being?    It is unknown exactly when this tradition leading up to Christmas first began but an early form of it, can be found from about the year 480.  In the year 567 the Council of Tours began a tradition of ordering the monks too fast for the 4 weeks prior to the Messiahs birth.  Some writing have even suggested that there is evidence of the tradition as far back as the time of the Twelve Apostles or that it was actually founded by the Apostle Peter himself.  Therefore an exact time or date seems impossible to pin point.  Let us remember here that the early church members who began practicing the tradition of Advent, did not consider their time of preparation for a Christmas celebration, a time to focus on the birth of Jesus but they were preparing for his return.   These four 4 weeks set aside for reflection and preparation began later.  Even then it was not about celebration but about reflection on how Jesus’ birth, His adult life, His ministry and His death influenced their personal life.  By reflecting on Him in this way the early Christians would then began to prepare for his second coming, not his first, but his return.   Sorry if I burst anyone’s Christmas bubble here, but no apology necessary truth be known. 

So then, today Nov 27 2016, we mark the beginning of the season of Advent:  How many of here today were aware of the fact that the original season of advent was not focused on Jesus’ first coming or his birthday as has become the tradition of many secular and Church going folk today.  The season of Advent was then and should still be today a time for us to reflect upon the impact that Jesus has had on our lives personally as we prepare for His coming again.  

Can anyone here this morning take a guess at why the focus of the tradition of Advent changed?   We could suggest that it was the Hallmark Card Company and the introduction of jolly old Saint Nick, they did it right!!  
So then the big question for us might be this:  What is our Advent going to be this season?  Will we stick with the old tradition or will we begin to see things differently.     

Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus” translated means coming, He shall come again, the scripture tells us.  Our reflection should not stop with His birth or his first coming, we are to prepare for His return. 

So, may I suggest that we spend the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas Eve in this way? Reflecting upon the humility and humbleness of his first arrival as an innocent child in a stable manger. Then the importance of his life and ministry in our lives as followers of His way. Then His betrayal by friend and foe, His convenient of forgiveness and Love from the cross, and then His death. But death was not the end for He did come again, as promised and again and again and He is still coming to many today. The Spirit of Jesus, “The Christ” is alive and well in our world today just as He returned to those first Judo-Christians. May I suggest here that His return will not be a public event as some may interpret but a personal event where the Spirit of Jesus, the risen Christ will come to you.  
Jesus’ first appearance in our midst is an important part of Advent folks but that was not, nor should it be in our time, the full reason for the season folks. Reflecting on why he came allows us to see the Hope we have for His return into our lives. But what about His Judgement. May I suggest that the 4 weeks of Advent reflection is about Jesus, but preparation during the 4 weeks is about “The Christ”? Preparing ourselves for the one who comes to awaken within us judgement? Our Tradition has taught us that when He comes again He will come to Judge both the living and the dead. That according to Jesus’ teachings, we have already place judgment upon ourselves by how we have treated and judged our neighbor? Therefore may I suggest that if this teaching is true, this time of his coming again and judgement will be more like a rude awaking? Hard for some of us to comprehend. May I suggest that in our time of transformation, or within our awakening, judgement will become clear and it will allow us to see in full light the folly of our ways, at least for those who have surrendered to Jesus. Once transformed we will be able as did the criminal on the cross, to recognize and accept our judgement. Then and only then will we be able to truly humble ourselves before Him asking for mercy and forgiveness. God’s unconditional forgiveness and love are offered through Jesus and rooted in “The Universal Christ” accept it and this is how you will be presented to your heavenly parent. As we come to the communion table today let us remember what He has done for us. Let us share in the bread of life and cup of freedom for all who accept His offer.                                  
                                 "Prepare The Way of The Lord"