Do you fast for Advent?
Food for thought from Fr. Stephen.
Thoughts on the 'Connecticut 6'
For some weeks, I have had several friends (mostly non-Episcopalians surprisingly) wanting me to voice an opinion on this Connecticut 6 (sounds like a fleabag motel) business. If you are unfamiliar with this fiasco, for lack of a better term, let me describe it as best as I understand it. There is so much spin going on (from both sides I might add) that I have been having trouble discerning fact from fiction. As I understand the situation, the Rt. Rev. Andrew Smith is the Bishop of Connecticut. Well, at least he has a pointy hat, I do not think he is particularly acting like one. Likewise, as I understand, there are Six rectors of churches (at least they have collars, but likewise are not acting like it) that have applied for DEPO oversight (i.e. another Bishop to oversee them.) The best way I know how to describe the hoohah is as follows: The Feloniously Rev. Smith is trying to defrock the Superciliously Reverend Rectors. Darth Smith claims they have abandoned communion and has shadil...
Comments
A while back, I posted something in response to hearing clergy colleagues insist that there's nothing penitential about Advent. It's entitled, "Is Advent a Penitential Season?"
I will grant that asking parishioners to fast or do a "Lent like thing" is nearly impossible these days. Secular Christmas begins at Thanksgiving (or these days after Halloween) and goes until December 25, at which point all the Christmas stuff disappears overnight.
I know clergy who honestly have no clue that Christmas is 12 days, only beginning on the 25th of December. I've resigned myself to the de facto truth that Western Christianity has lost the battle of secular Christmas and Advent is basically non-existent for most parishioners in any meaningful sense. I still keep it in common life as best I can, but honestly, it feels like a hopeless cause.
I've resigned myself to the de facto truth that Western Christianity has lost the battle of secular Christmas and Advent is basically non-existent for most parishioners in any meaningful sense.
Sadly, I find myself in the same place on this. It does, indeed, feel like "a hopeless cause." I suppose the best we can do is continue being faithful in the increasingly counter-cultural practices and beliefs of the liturgical/sacramental Anglican way.
Advent is our best season to go head to head with the "Bible Prophecy" and "End Times" churches. When we cave to the secular "Christmas Season," we wind up ignoring these issues and our folks go out and read "Left Behind" books or take up the equally silly "We're Episcopalians, we're too smart to talk about that sort of thing."
The first Sunday after Christmas (rightly called "Christmas Season") gets to the meaning of Christ's birth, with John's prologue and especially 1:14. Of course that tends to be a "low Sunday" attendance-wise. But when we cave to the secular season we wind up with a warm story about a baby upon whom we can project our warmer experiences.
Bless you, good Frs., for keeping up the counter-cultural (e.g. pro-Kingdom) resistance!