GodReflection: Advent a God Tradition

I like a good tradition. Sure, bad traditions can get in the way but good traditions can keep the needle of my heart compass pointing north. The glue of tradition aids families, schools, nations, and churches.

Churches practice many laudable traditions.

Church calendars list special days to collect food, enjoy church fellowship gatherings, and special times to pray with families as the Christian community dedicate to God the lives of new born babies.

Churches schedule special services for Christmas, Easter, and in our nation to observe a day of Thanksgiving.

It is only recently the Advent tradition caught my attention.

Advent translates a Latin word used to depict arrival, to come to, and the coming of something of great importance.

Starting in the 5^th and 6^th Centuries the Latin Church drew attention to celebrating the Advent of God entering the world. On many church calendars, Advent begins the 4^th Sunday prior to Christmas and covers four weeks.

The purpose of the tradition is to direct hearts and minds to Christ second coming. The observance reminds Christ followers of the times God has come to earth. It is a time to contemplate the wait, the mystery, the incarnation, and the redemption, all pointing to the return of Christ.

God will once again break into history.

Where did I miss Advent?

Here is what I think.

My church family came by way of the Confederate South. There is not much city in my DNA. I represent the first generation not raised on the farm.

Farmers are hard workers by definition.

Helping to birth calves in the middle of the night, milking after dark, hot days in the fields from sunup to sundown, nursing sick animals to health, keeping a family warm in winter, and supplemented with egg money throughout the year, is not for wimps.

It didn’t take long pulling weeds and mowing grass on my microscopic city lot to decide against farming as a future career. Farming is hard work.

I suspect my Southern farming church ancestors burdened with survival didn’t have the luxury to spend time contemplating some of the deeper realities of God.

It was the Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodist, and Presbyterians who lived in the cities, experienced greater access to education, and had more time to ponder Scripture.

Beside the time factor, my church family took far too much pride in self-sufficiency and our own correct interpretation of scripture to adopt another group’s traditions. We were slow to accept the grace of God since the Baptist found it first. If the Northern Churches spoke of Advent—we wanted no part of it.

Thus, a time to reflect on the advent of God into history missed our churches.

Whether in July or December it is a worthy tradition to reflect on the mystery of God who patiently waits for His creation, becomes flesh, redeems a lost world, and will return to live among us.

My intention over the next four weeks is to use the GodReflection space to go deeper into the advent of God among a people like me.

I invite you to look over my shoulder as I search.

Stay tuned.

Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – Reflecting on the Advent of God.

Gary@GodReflection.org