Before Christians in many liturgical traditions celebrate Christmas, they observe a season of Advent that traditionally has been referred to as “a little Lent,” the 40-day season of repentance leading up to Easter.
To reclaim our Advent celebrations, it may help to better understand the reasons why we celebrate these four weeks leading up to Christmas as a specific season.
Recently, Pastor Tim Chester of Grace Church in Boroughbridge, UK, wrote to Christians about the season of Advent in a post titled “Evangelicals, It’s Time to Reclaim Advent.”
Instead of joy, this December has felt exceptionally bleak. Anger, grief, and fear seem to have darkened the world. How could anyone be happy amidst all this turmoil?
Waiting is not something that is viewed highly in our culture, in fact it is counter-culture to embrace waiting and to find not only contentment but joy in it.
