Permission to Long for More
Learning to celebrate Advent
“Advent leads to a growing inner stillness and joy allowing me to realize that he for whom I am waiting has already arrived and speaks to me in the silence of my heart.”
Henri Nouwen
For most of my life, if Advent was even celebrated, it was limited to a family from church coming on stage to read verses and light a candle. No one explained the meaning behind each candle. No one talked about the purpose of the season. Being an evangelical, I had to discover all of that on my own. It’s still something I am discovering and enjoying. I’ve collected a pretty eclectic group of friends here on Substack and especially over on Threads—Christians from across the spectrum of faith—and learning from you all has been wonderful!
There was always a community Christmas service in my small home town growing up where the various churches would get together and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Everyone was a part of it except for the Baptists. We sang Christmas carols, read Scripture, listened to special music numbers, and enjoyed cookies afterwards. We stopped going to most of the community services after we joined our culty, homeschooler, independent, Baptist church out of town.
In my most recent deconstruction and reconstruction of my faith, I determined that more than anything I am a historical Christian. I hold tightly to a few, central, historical beliefs of the faith, and everything else I believe becomes an opportunity to learn and grow. It felt like the whole spectrum of Christianity was suddenly open to me.
About this time, we took a 4th of July family camping trip back to my old stomping grounds in the Thumb of Michigan. There was a community service in the park that night and I felt a deep need to go. My family humored me. We sat in lawn chairs and sang old hymns and praise & worship choruses. It wasn’t anything fancy. Then they passed out communion. It was either the Lutheran or Methodist pastor and his wife that offered me a chance to partake. As I accepted the body of Christ-broken for me and the blood of Christ-shed for me, something in my heart that I didn’t even know was wounded healed.
This is Advent for me. It is a healing chance to pause in the hecticness of the Christmas season and feel the frustration of living in the yes/but era of life. Yes, Jesus came, lived with us, died for us, and resurrected, but He hasn’t come back yet and the world is still broken. Advent gives me permission to feel pain, longing, disappointment, and hope. It is a faith tradition that much of evangelicalism has sadly lost.
Two years ago as I was discovering and celebrating Advent for the first time, I recorded the podcast episodes linked below. If Advent is part of your faith experience, you will probably find them humorous, but if it is something that you are just exploring, they may help you to begin your own Advent adventure.
“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Have a blessed Christmas season, friends.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, questions, or comments. You can find me on Threads, Instagram, Facebook, my website, and on my original podcast. I’d love to connect with you on any of these places!
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Really good stuff - and thanks for the Henry Newman quote - yes and yes.
You are welcome! I love Henri Nowuen.