Devotional Ideas for Family And Group Use During Advent (Rev. Ed.)

Trudie West Revoir, Revised John Pipe

Judson Press, 1998, 75 pages

Review by Jeffrey L. Bessler

One of the interesting signs of our ecumenical times in the Church is the rediscovery of both liturgical and non-liturgical traditions and devotions by Christians who have often shunned these ideas and practices since the Reformation. This holiday book, written and revised by two Baptists and published by Judson Press is one such effort to popularize some elements of Advent (like the Advent wreath) as a prelude to Christmas. It mixes a small bit of liturgical history with an international wealth of Christmas customs and legend and the Advent candles with the Christmas story and with daily family activities.

Unfortunately, this emphasis on Christmas completely overwhelms and negates the real meaning of Advent and its celebration. It has always seemed strange to this reviewer that evangelical and fundamentalist Christians who are so eager to criticize and condemn American culture in some ways, completely swallow the American consumer commercialization of Christmas. Churches and homes are decorated in early December, Christmas-themed sermons are preached and Christmas hymns and carols are sung throughout the month of December.

All of this, of course, has nothing to do with the celebration of Advent. Neither does naming the Advent candles after people in the Christmas story. All of this rush to celebrate Christmas during the entire month between Thanksgiving and December 25th is exactly the opposite of the real meaning and theology of Advent. It just reflects the baptism of the modern commercial Christmas just like, I suppose, the early Church baptized (co-opted?) the Roman feast of Saturnalia. The only difference now is that instead of the Church co-opting the secular world, the secular world is co-opting (reclaiming?) Christmas for its own commercial Saturnalia. (Christmas with Christmas trees, Santa Claus, the whole works is celebrated non-religiously in Japan, where the population is less than 1% Christian, just as indulgently as in America.) My point is not one more rant at the commercialization of Christmas, but to underscore how the unique and incredibly beautiful and brief season of Advent is completely lost even by the most well-meaning, thoughtful, and devoted American Christians.

Advent is, I suppose, too austere and simple and quiet a celebration for Americans, but it is incredibly rich both theologically and spiritually. Advent themes start with the return of Christ at the end of time, which both shifts from the end of the previous liturgical year with its Feast of Christ the King and mirrors the turn toward Advent and Jesus' first coming. This shift from the last coming to the first coming begins Advent with eschatological ideas of the Son of Man used by Jesus in his ministry and then opens into the passages in the Jewish Scriptures that Christians see as foreshadowing the Messiah's coming in Jesus. From the expulsion from Eden, to the Noahic Covenant and through the prophets to Malachi, the Advent readings pilgrimage toward Bethlehem. Advent hymns and prayers focus on preparing heart and mind on the coming of Christ, not on celebrating Christmas before the 25th. The glorious "O Antiphons" (paraphrased in the hymn, "O Come, O Come, Immanuel) heighten the anticipation of Christmas the last seven days until concluding on Christmas Eve.

All this sense of Advent anticipation is unfortunately missing from this otherwise sincere effort at trying to provide family activities and devotions. Much to the authors' credit, they do recommend some activities that are of service to the needy, those in nursing homes, etc., that seek to see Christmas as more than just self-indulgence both spiritually and materially. Recommended not so much for those who are interested in Advent as for those who want to enrich their family celebration of Christmas.

Jeffrey L. Bessler earned his Master of Divinity degree from Christ Seminary-Seminex (now Lutheran School of Theology-Chicago) and is presently earning a Certificate in Anglican Theological Studies from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.