Happy New Year!

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”  Matthew 1:23

It was a little upsetting to plug “Advent” into the Google search engine on the Internet and find that half or more of the initial “hits” had absolutely nothing to do with Christ, the church, Emmanuel, the coming of the Messiah, or anything in the least bit spiritual.  Hit number 2 was for Advent Software, “a full suite of products for institutional investors.” Number 4 was for.

Advent International Global Private Equity, “one of the world’s largest private equity firms” hit number 5 was for Advent Networks, which “has pioneered the first business-class IP access platform for the cable industry.”

Did you notice, also, that the stores had some Christmas decoration and merchandise before Halloween, and shifted full gear into their Advent as soon as Halloween passed? Their Advent; waiting to count the cash that the commercial holiday that has obscured Christmas brings. And, of course, Halloween had more of the trappings of a Satanic Christmas, appropriating things like lights, and wreaths, and dioramas- although much of that in a Christmas setting has little to do with true Christmas anyhow.

It is difficult to avoid being cynical during Advent and particularly close to Christmas. This is such a special time of year. Yet every year the true meaning and the true sense seem to be driven further and further into the background.

But, you know, nothing has really changed much in more than 2000 years. Christ was not born into a world where everyone awaited and celebrated his birth. Herod sent emissaries to kill him. Thousands of infants near his age were slaughtered in an effort to ensure that Christ did not come into the world.

Enough of the darkness.  This is about the beginning of the new year, the new church year. Advent began December 1. We are four Sundays away from Christmas, and we are preparing for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ. We are preparing to welcome Emmanuel, God is with us.

This is both a somber and joyous time. The advent of God with us acknowledges that we are sinful and live in a sin-filled world. But the advent of God with us also acknowledges “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  John 3:16 Advent is a time to both remember why Christ came into the world and to celebrate our life in Christ.

Since Advent and Christmas is about God incarnate in his son Jesus Christ, it seems also that the season will have meaning that we give it. What others do that is not appropriate to the season does not need to affect us. We are the people of the Baptismal Covenant. We acknowledge that we are the stewards of God’s goodness. Certainly, we beckon and welcome all of mankind into that relationship, but the failures of others to understand the great gift we have to celebrate does not take away from our Advent and Christmas, unless we let it.

The Baptismal Covenant begins on page 304 of the Book of Common Prayer. Consider pausing at least once a week during this Advent season and meditating on the Baptismal Covenant and how you can grow in living out that covenant in thanksgiving for the great gift this season celebrates.