We are now into the four week period of the year set aside as a preparation for the celebration of the incarnation, or the nativity. In the West Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas (this year Sunday 27 November). The name is derived from the Latin root meaning ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’. The early western church from the 6th century onwards had a period of six weeks of fasting and penitence before Christmas. The reduction to four weeks was a gradual development, but is now almost universally accepted. Today, the accent of the Advent season is on ‘getting ready’ for the coming of Christ – at Bethlehem, into our…
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Advent time
We’re now into the third week of Advent, which for many in the IBTS community will actually be the last one: Christmas break starts this Friday and then many of the staff and students go home, where in a number of cases Advent isn’t celebrated at all. It’s always interesting to observe various reactions to this time of waiting. We tried hard to hold off the ‘happy glittery Christmas mood’ and be serious about the preparation time and what it involves – alert waiting and active hoping. We’ve done quite well, I thought, even though yesterday in our SVCC all-age service we finally got into Christmas carols – this is our…