The Christian New Year

Advent, or adventus, is the season of arrival. In the Christian calendar, the first sunday of advent begins a new year. It begins a season of preparing for the promise of Jesus' birth to Mary. Of all the seasons observed by the church, advent touches me most. In advent, I look ahead to the coming of Christmas and all that it represents but I also consider how God has been at work in my life since I first responded to him in faith.

I recently heard N.T. Wright, the Bishop of Durham asked "why are you a Jesus follower?" and his initial response was "that is like asking me why I breathe." Advent is the time of year that I feel that way, it is the season when I my faith in Christ seems most natural and any doubt recedes most fully. Anticipation of Christ's coming allows me to embrace the full hope of his ministry and to see the world through the eyes of the gospel. So for me, Advent is a season of reflection and thanksgiving, of prayer and celebration.

In each of the remaining weeks of advent I plan to post some personal reflections on the week's readings as I anticipate Christmas' coming. As the real Christmas story began, I thought I'd begin with the magnificat (Luke:1:46-55):

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen