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Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY A Devotional Guide to the Beginning of the Church Year (2019-2020) from Grace & Peace Presbyterian TABLE OF CONTENTS WHAT IS THE CHURCH CALENDAR? ............................................... 3 ADVENT What is Advent?...................................................................................4 Prayer Guide........................................................................................ 5 Perspective.......................................................................................... 8 CHRISTMAS What is Christmas?.............................................................................. 10 Prayer Guide........................................................................................ 11 Perspective.......................................................................................... 13 EPIPHANY What is Epiphany?............................................................................... 15 Prayer Guide ...................................................................................... 16 Perspective.......................................................................................... 18 APPENDIX Apostles’ Creed................................................................................... 20 Songs for Advent ................................................................................ 21 Songs for Christmas ............................................................................27 Songs for Epiphany .............................................................................37 ADDITIONAL ADVENT SCRIPTURE READINGS............................ 41 ‘TIS THE SEASON ‘Tis the season for office Christmas parties, shopping lists, naughty/nice lists, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. But, it is also the season of Advent, which will lead into the season of Christmas, followed by Epiphany. We tend to conflate all three seasons by calling it all Christmas, all the while commenting that Christmas went by faster this year than last year. This devotional intends to help you slow down so you can long for the King in Advent, welcome him in Christmas, and celebrate that this Jewish King is also for the nations at Epiphany. Our prayer is that you will benefit from the distinctiveness of all three seasons as you pause in the wonder and worship of Jesus. In each season, you’ll find prayers, quotes, Scripture readings, songs (if you don’t plan to read all the lyrics, we suggest the starred ones since they mark unfamiliar songs or verses with meaningful lyrics often skipped), and at least one piece of art. We’ve also made a Spotify playlist of all the songs included. All of this is intended to slow you down and to engage your imagination. Maybe as you pause this holiday season, you’ll find that it doesn’t pass by quite so quickly this year. WHAT IS THE CHURCH CALENDAR? In the same way that our secular calendars have seasons, the Church calendar also has seasons. Though, instead of the seasons telling us how warm or how long the days are, or even what sports are being played—the seasons of the Church calendar remind us that as God’s people our lives are defined by, and revolve around, Jesus Christ. The Church calendar is split in two halves. The first half follows Jesus’ life, and it walks us throughApostles’ Creed Christianity. We follow his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, and his giving of his Holy Spirit. The second half of the Church calendar emphasizes how God’s people, now empowered by his Spirit, live out their God-given calling. Using the church calendar is not required by God, but it is a useful, systematic tool for churches, individuals, and families to immerse themselves in the essentials of the Christian faith that we find in the Holy Scriptures. We hope you find it useful, too! 3 WHAT IS ADVENT? What about Advent then? The season of Advent is the start of the new year in the Christian calendar, and yet it doesn’t follow Jesus’ life. Instead, it anticipates him, or rather, longs for him. How does it do that? Advent is not a season in which we are pretending that Jesus wasn’t born. Instead, we reflect more deeply on the evil of the world around us and within us. This evil, or sin, is the reason for Jesus’ first coming in the Incarnation, and this evil will be finally and fully dealt with when he returns as the Judge of the world. Advent, therefore, encourages us to long for and to pray for Jesus’ return from heaven to earth, by taking an honest look at the evil in this world. Advent is definitely not WHEN IS ADVENT? for sissies. Those who are December 1-24, 2019 willing and ready to face the special mood of the season will, I hope, find that it opens up the deep meaning of Christmas in a way that is simply not possible with a less rigorous approach. — Fleming Rutledge Representation of the Last Judgment on the west wall at Voronet monastery, Bucovina, 1547 4 ADVENT PRAYER GUIDE We’ve provided two prayers and two confessions so you can alternate between them during the Advent season. There are additional scripture readings in the Appendix. OPENING PRAYER Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. — Book of Common Prayer (1662), Advent Collect I Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen. — Book of Common Prayer (2019), Advent Collect IV CONFESSIONS OF SIN Lord, your word tells us that to be separate from Christ is to be a stranger to all of your promises, and to be left without hope in the world. We are weary of the way of the world around us, and within us. Rather than love our neighbor, we have scorned and taken advantage of our neighbor. We have run to, rather than run from, quarreling, jealousy, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and sensuality. Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence. — from Ephesians 2, Romans 13, Isaiah 64 Lord, you told us to stay alert, to watch and wait for your coming. We confess that when you do come to us, we often miss it. We have not looked for Christ in our neighbor. We have not looked for Christ in creation, which is held together by his word. And though he came to us as a man of sorrows, we have sought for pleasure, riches, and comfort instead of taking up our cross, weeping over our sin, and finding Christ in the midst of our brokenness. Father, forgive us and help us glimpse your Son, even as we watch and wait for his coming. — from Mark 13:35, Colossians 1:17, Isaiah 53:3 Pause for a few moments of personal confession 5 WORDS OF HOPE The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. — Psalm 103:8, 10-12; 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. — Isaiah 53 SCRIPTURE READING Additional scripture readings are available on page 41. Week 1 of Advent Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 24:36-44 Week 2 of Advent Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12 Week 3 of Advent Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11 Week 4 of Advent Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25 SONGS FOR ADVENT JUMP TO LYRICS SECTION — Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus (1744) — Until These Tears Are Gone (2014) — O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (1861) — Light of Those Whose Dreary Dwelling (1744)* — Psalm 126 (2013) — All Who Hear (2013) — Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending (1763)* — Hark! A Thrilling Voice is Sounding (5th century)* 6 QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION — How does this Scripture reveal sin in this world or in my heart? — What does/will it look like for Jesus to restore & heal this sin in my heart and in the world? — What kind of world would this be if these particular sins were never dealt with by a good and Holy God? — Why do you think John the Baptist is so prominent in Advent? — How might I, today, carry/give the hope of a God that does not remain distant in heaven, but draws near in Jesus? Henry O. Tanner, “The Annunciation.” 1898. Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) was an American artist and the first African-Amer- ican painter to gain international acclaim. Tanner moved to Paris, France, in 1891 to study, and continued to live there after being accepted in French artistic circles. 7 REFLECTION AN ADVENT PERSPECTIVE - REV. JOE DENTICI Every year, on the first Sunday of Advent, we put out our Nativity scene, except for the Baby Jesus and the Wise Men.
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