The Adventure of Advent

The earliest evidence for Advent comes from the 4th century (380AD) while the Catholic Church was combatting the heresy of Gnosticism. Gnosticism is an old teaching that our bodies are unimportant and it's only the spirit that really matters. It's safe to assume that Advent began as a way to counter false teaching.

Advent historically emphasizes that God became flesh through the incarnation of Jesus the Christ, and that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. For me as a student at an Episcopalian school being taught in 4th grade to make an Advent calendar that would soon be joined by tasty chocolates, I was never taught the history of this season nor the church calendar. Advent was just about waiting with a visible countdown to celebrate Christmas. I actually never learned of the connection of Christmas and the birth of Christ until 9th grade.

But the 4th century Church helped to create the ideas of preparation for a celebration through the visible incarnation. Advent also declares that Jesus had a bodily resurrection and ascension, and that he will return at his second coming. This second coming includes a glorified body to judge the living and the dead and give us new life in our own glorified resurrected bodies.

The adventure of starting up a new church, Jubilee, includes Advent and plenty of other early church doctrine that has remained a plumb line for the worldwide church. The adventure of helping this new church includes looking at the 4 elements of what's visibly celebrated today by candles. The adventure of leading this new church includes considering the depths of Advent and how vital its essence is when heresy is rampant. The adventure of teaching this new church about the importance of Advent to us will help to shape us as we seek to follow Jesus as a community of faith.

And to teach our children the same while being open to making a calendar full of tasty chocolate.