Our Christian liturgical year offers us a different set of seasons than we usually consider. Following Christmas, we have the season of Epiphany, next as the winter begins to fade, Ash Wednesday ushers in the season of Lent. At Easter, we enter into Eastertide until Pentecost which then gives way to Ordinary Time … love that one … which comes back around to where the liturgical year all begins, Advent.
And Advent itself is the subject of its own calendar that we use to count down the days to the birth of Jesus. I did not grow up with advent calendars, but as I came into ministry it was clear that many others did. And the variety of calendars is delightful. A typical one will have doors to open each day with some message, toy, piece of candy, or other delight hidden behind it. Some are elaborate others simple.
My favorites have been the candy filled ones, but others have had a prayer behind each door, or I have seen Lego Star Wars advent calendars that had a tiny Lego figure to build each day, (with a piece of candy I might add), the kids looked forward to that one. But the most unique calendar was My Aunt Grace’s. My sister gave it to her because of her love of birds. It is a two-foot model of a house with doors and windows on all levels and behind those doors is a model of a different bird, which once released can sit on the perch attached to the door until Christmas comes. Cardinals, blue jays, terns, you name it.
In all this, what is learned? I would suggest that one valuable lesson is the delayed gratification involved in practicing waiting each day for what will come next. But more significantly, Advent calendars are a hand’s on, experiential demonstration that every day is a gift. Each new door opening is a reminder of God’s blessings that come, not all at once, but with each breath, each moment, and each awakening. God’s gift to us, God’s self-revelation is a continual process, not limited to one day of the year or two. It is our blessing and our hope. Amen, and amen.
The Rev. Mark Diters