'Tis the Season!

 I do believe it's the earliest I've ever been asked the question: "Are you ready for the holidays?"

The person who asked me that question today was a very nice cashier at the nearby grocery store, and she admitted that she was confusing herself by asking.  There was a Salvation Army bell ringer outside (earlier than I have remembered a Salvation Army bell ringer) and she said, "The bell ringer is making me panic.  It's making me think I should be doing more than I am to get ready for the holidays."  Then she said, "Last night, after work, I got home and my daughter was playing Christmas music.  I said, 'No!  Too early!'"

Did the Salvation Army bell ringer think he was on duty too early?  When I dropped in my contribution he said, "Thank you!  Happy Thanksgiving!"  I'm so old I remember when Salvation Army bell ringers went on duty after Thanksgiving, and they would say, "Merry Christmas!"  (Yes, Salvation Army volunteers name The Reason For The Season.)

It's not too early for The Holidays, according to our culture.  The Holidays begin at sunrise the day after Hallowe'en.  I stopped at a Starbucks on November 5 and my coffee was poured into a Christmas, er, Holiday cup.  (Sorry for the misstype; I remember when green and red were called Christmas colors.)  Wawa is serving their coffee in cups sporting Christmas, er, Holiday colors with this heart-warming sentiment: 


(I actually don't know what that means.  Is it the coffee itself that's Wrapped in Warmth & Love?)

Is there still a War on Christmas?  I haven't heard so much about that in recent years.  I remember, when doing campus ministry, that I told some students it was really a War on Advent, since the warfare was taking place during the weeks of December.  I laughed out loud one day when a student came in with a Starbucks Holiday cup and said, "Look, Pastor!  Starbucks has declared war on Advent!"

In response to the two-month-long season of The Holidays, some pastors have recovered an ancient practice of elongating the season of Advent.  Here is how the wonderful and amazing Pastor Brett Wilson arranges Advent candles leading up to the traditional Advent wreath with four candles, at Georgetown Lutheran Church:


Since The Holidays begin on November 1, it makes some sense to advance the start of the church's counter-message: that we need to wait, before celebrating the birth of Jesus, because it's important to spend time in contemplation, becoming aware of the hopes we are bringing to that celebration this year.

I'm still a four-Sunday Advent type of guy, though.  That's because I don't want to dillute the theme of these last Sundays leading up to Advent: with their readings reminding us that life is short and could end at any time.  And, so, with that reality front and center, then: what are your hopes?  In what ways, this year, do you look for God's advent into our human flesh?

Happy Christ the King Sunday!

Andy Ballentine

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