Faith Works 11-24-23

Faith Works 11-24-23
Jeff Gill

Advent is a necessary season
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The four Sundays leading up to Christmas starts late this year; in fact, December 3rd is the latest it does come.

Most ministers, I believe, prefer Advent to start after the Sunday following Thanksgiving, just to buffer the chaos of travel and family events around the fourth Thursday of November, before diving into the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day (still the 25th).

I always felt odd when Advent began in November, but I also think it odd that the World Series now can extend into November, although the Rangers saw to it we only had one day of baseball into this month.

November 26th has a liturgical role all its own; I know many Christians are not liturgical, even a little, and there are non-Christian readers here. But aside from the Feast of Christ the King of Reign of Christ Sunday (have at it, if you so observe!), I'm wanting to nod in preparation towards a season of preparation, called Advent.

Liturgical purists will debate musical propriety and how or when ornamentation goes up and where. Some of this, I want to note, is because for long centuries we didn't have trees and garlands and wreaths made from mysterious plastics and polymers. All our decor was natural, and as is the way of all flesh, and of all greenery, it came to pieces fairly quickly.

So both churches and families tended to place and decorate the tree on Christmas Eve, and keep it up perhaps a few days, at most until January 6 and Epiphany. Lights were small clipped candles, and not a few of those candles helped speed the end of the decorations.

Now, just to bring everyone up to speed, we have electricity, and decor in stores from just after the Back to School displays come down. I'm neither defending nor endorsing manic holiday decorations, it's just a historical development. We used to couldn't, so we didn't. Now we can, so we do.

As to worship and spiritual disciplines, I prefer to operate from the other end. Rather than spend so much time on what we can't or shouldn't do in Advent, or trying to ban and exclude stuff, I just want to say: Advent is cool. You should try it. Let the full bore Christmas stuff wait a bit, and try out some of these Adventy ideas.

I'm not, for instance, entirely on board with "no carols until Christmas Eve!" but I do think it is a wonderful thing to always sing something with an Advent theme on those Sundays leading up to the celebration of Christ's birth. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is an ancient classic, and has some fascinating contemporary settings; "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" is plaintive and eminently adaptable. "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant is to me a very Advent oriented song, and "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" is directly on point.

Until I started putting this together, I had in the back of my mind the idea that both "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light" and "Lo, How a Rose 'Ere Blooming" were by J.S. Bach, but I realize the latter is in fact a German carol, but the tune is by Michael Praetorius. Either one is majestic, brooding, and thought provoking.

Because that's the point of Advent. To enhance our ultimate celebration by thinking and praying and working through, very carefully, what it means to anticipate the coming of God-with-us into the world.

That's what Advent is all about, Charlie Brown!


Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he's not a purist in much, truth to tell. Tell him how you observe Advent at knapsack77@gmail.com, or follow @Knapsack77 on Threads.

Faith Works 11-17-23

Faith Works 11-17-23
Jeff Gill

Thankful for what we do not yet have
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Thankfulness is an art, and like any art, it must be practiced.

Anyone who has practiced, whether it's shooting free throws or sketching landscapes, turning wood on a lathe or diagnosing patients, knows that you can't just practice when it's easy or convenient. Sometimes the best practice in sailing is during a storm; when you can master a skill even as you're weary or distracted, that's a good sign you are at home in your art.

So it is with the art of thankfulness.

Our government is not in the best of order right now, on many levels; I am thankful that we have the outline and tools of democracy still at hand, and ready to be used more responsibly.

The world is not at peace; I am thankful for my awareness that some of the sense of war everywhere is because we can know things previous generations, even our parents's generation, could not, and there is more peace to work from than we might think from a quick glance at the news.

Members of our armed forces have challenges aplenty before them, whether you know any personally or not; I am thankful for the contrast I see looking at life for the average enlisted soldier in most of the great armies of the world, and for our troops. May they train hard so their sweat replaces the blood that might otherwise be shed, and have leave to remind us at home of their sacrifices as we honor their service.

Harvest time is finishing up; I am thankful that I do not have to spend long days and longer nights out in harvester machinery and transport trucks, bringing today's sheaves and selling them at elevators, balancing costs of fuel and taxes on their land against the high calling of growing useful crops. Blessings on our farmers and their families.

Schools face unprecedented challenges in today's world, and are expected to manage tools and technologies the rest of us still are baffled by, both in their use and how to react to potential abuse; I am thankful for teachers and secretaries and administrators and attendance officers and parents and grandparents and yes, thankful for students who keep reminding us, if you pay attention, that there are many fine young people who will exceed our every hope and expectation.

And churches. God bless all the faith communities and new plants and different belief systems all trying to fathom what the Eternal One is saying to the times and seasons we face today; I am thankful for having a religious tradition that feeds my soul and helps me stay connected, and I pray that more people find seek out such a connection in their lives, for I truly believe that in community there is both hope and strength.

If I were to list all the worries, doubts, and concerns that come to mind without much mental effort at all, I could easily fill this column and many more. What takes time and intention is to be thankful, to use Alex Haley's advice: "find the good, and praise it."

There is much good at work in our community this very day, and those who love and seek goodness continue to serve and witness. For them, and those about to join them, I am thankful both now, and in anticipation of more yet to be thankful for.


Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he has to work at thankfulness from time to time. Tell him what you're thankful for at knapsack77@gmail.com, or follow @Knapsack77 on Threads.