The church new year launched two days ago as we entered the season of Advent. Many may ask why the church calendar? It sounds old, boring, and out-dated at best, or created to send us to our spiritual graves at worst.
At least those would have been my thoughts some years ago. But over the past decade I have been drawn to what we call the liturgical calendar.
What is it?
Welcome to the new year. Not the calendar new year, but the church’s new year that begins with the season of Advent. This is our rhythm in which we both remember the coming of God’s Messiah so long ago, but also we longingly hope for the coming of Jesus once again to make all things new. As Robert Webber reminds us in his book Ancient-Future Time:
The church has been entrusted with the meaning of all time. The world does not know the meaning of its own history, but the church does. Through the discipline of the Christian year, the church proclaims the meaning of time and of the history of the world.
The church tells time differently and with genuine purpose. We do not need to despise our cultural calendar (nor an academic or fiscal calendar). Yet, the people of God proclaim a story through a different rhythm.
With the ushering in of Advent, I want to first turn to Mary’s song—what we call “The Magnificat.”
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My newest book, Reflections of Immanuel, was recently released through Wipf & Stock Publishers.
What is the book about? You may be able to guess from the title, but here is the synopsis from the back cover.
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On Sunday, we entered into a new year as the people of God. The page was turned to the season of Advent, a time of anticipation, waiting and longing for Christ to come.
At Renewal I talked through the concept of liturgy, what healthy tradition looks like, and most importantly what the church calendar is all about as we enter Advent. Continue reading
