What better time to launch a new blog about celebrating the Christian church year? Today is the first day of the Christian year, which begins with the Advent season. This is the time in which we anticipate the coming of Christ into the world — past, present and future. We remember Jesus’ humble birth in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. We give thanks for His present and continual coming to us through Word and Sacrament. And we look forward with hope and longing to His second coming in glory to judge the living and the dead on the Last Day.
Advent is also that portion of the Christian calendar that puts us most directly at odds with secular society. Liturgical Christians are (supposed to be) in a period of confession and repentance, prayer, fasting, immersion in Scripture, and singing of the O Antiphons and other seasonal hymns. Everyone else is in a frenzied period of shopping, parties and general stress. We begin the Christmas season on Christmas while most everyone else wraps it up that day. So this period of time can be a challenge.
My oldest daughter is two, which means she’s beginning to understand anticipation. To help her prepare for Christmas Day, I ordered a handmade Advent calendar from Etsy seller DabberDoo. While I wait for it, I also picked up the calendar pictured above from my favorite local kitchen store.
