Advent is the first season in the church year, comprising the four weeks before Christmas. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin, “to come,” and the church has observed Advent as weeks of preparation since the fifth century with themes of watchfulness, preparation, and hope infusing this season. Together we both anticipate the celebration of God’s coming in the form of the Christ child and the final coming of Christ in the time to come. Blue or purple is the appointed color for the season.

A Few Notes on Current Practices for Celebrating Advent

• Lutheran churches observe Advent in numerous ways. Most light the advent wreath during the four weeks of Advent, adding one new candle each week. These candles are typically lit during the Gathering rite. Prayers for the Advent Wreath lighting can be found in Sundays and Seasons.

• Some congregations hold midweek services during the Advent season.

• Many congregations experience the challenge of celebrating Advent in a culture that celebrates Christmas during the month of December. The commercialism of Christmas can so easily creep into the faith practices of the church. Some congregations hold Advent Festivals for the Sunday school or Advent musical events to help the faithful understand how to keep Advent amid the culture’s early celebration of Christmas. Advent devotional booklets for home use are also a helpful resource.

• Theological issues related to Advent often come up when discussing worship planning, especially related to musical matters. On the one hand, Advent is a time to prepare, to sing music related to the impending birth of Christ. On the other hand, as Christians, we know that Christ is already present with us. It is important that Advent is not a “pretend time,” as if Jesus had never come into the world. Focusing on the waiting for the light of Christ in a dark world and on the eschatological nature of Advent can help make Advent a more depth-filled, honest time of waiting.

• Keeping this in mind, it is wise to make musical decisions in Advent (as in all other times) with care. Some assemblies do not sing any Christmas carols in Advent, remaining true to the spirit of watching and waiting that characterizes the season. Other congregations, for pastoral or teaching reasons, begin to sing some Christmas carols in Advent. If a new Christmas hymn is to be learned, for example, Advent might be a time for teaching.

Today’s post is from Kelly Sherman-Conroy (Oglala Sioux), Luther Seminary student and member of the American Indian/Alaska Native Lutheran Association.

In August of 2016 the ELCA made a promise to the Native people.  The Churchwide Assembly, made up of members of the ELCA, passed a resolution written by ELCA Native American clergy Bishop Guy Erwin (Osage Nation) and Pastor Joan Conroy (Oglala Sioux) to recognize and celebrate contributions of Native Americans in the life of the church and community.

The whole body of the ELCA confessed that they were wrong and repudiated, explicitly and clearly, the European-derived Doctrine of Discovery, a document that has been used to justify racism against and enslavement of indigenous peoples since it was written in 1493.

This papal bull, known in Latin as “Inter Caetera,” gave Christian explorers the right to claim lands they “discovered” for their Christian monarchs. Any land discovered that was not inhabited by Christians could be exploited. If pagan inhabitants could not be converted, they could be enslaved or killed. Indigenous people have felt the sting of that papal edict since Europeans first landed in North America. The Native culture, according to early missionaries, did not fit the Christian religion, and belief in the Gospel required them to give up who they were in order to become something they could never be… white.

When the ELCA passed the resolution formally repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery, one of the commitments that was made was to “encourage the Office of the Presiding Bishop to plan an appropriate national ceremony of repentance and reconciliation with tribal leaders, providing appropriate worship resources for similar synodical and congregational observances with local tribal leaders, at such times and places as are appropriate.”

This Native American Liturgical Celebration and Service of Reconciliation was created by Kelly Sherman-Conroy, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge South Dakota, who attends Nativity Lutheran Church in St. Anthony, MN and also currently attends Luther Seminary. This liturgy, with the help of many people, was put together to in a meaningful way integrate Native culture and spirituality, and also keep some boundaries of the Lutheran Christian traditions. The result is that a profound and deeply spiritual experience has been created for all involved, not just in the worship practices themselves but in relationship with God and the other. In other words, inculturation (the adaptation of worship to various cultural settings) aims to deepen the spiritual life of the assembly through a fuller experience of Christ who is revealed in Native people’s language, rites, arts, and symbols.

On November 22^nd this service will be live streamed from Nativity Lutheran Church in its entirety. You will be able to join the live stream at Nativity’s web site, and more information about the event is available on Facebook. It is my hope that this service and celebration will serve as an example as to how this liturgy can be used in regions across the ELCA, and that the participants will have a blessed, faith-filled and formative experience.

If you would like to host this liturgy in your own synod or congregation, the worship resources themselves and a list of guidelines created to aid in the use of the liturgy may be found from ELCA.org. The American Indian/Alaska Native Lutheran Association is also available for conversation via email at ELCANATIVE@gmail.com.

Images:

Image 1 is a photo of Kelly Sherman-Conroy, taken at Luther Seminary during worship

Today’s post is from Julie B. Sevig, an ELCA deacon, communications specialist at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago, IL.

Sunday, November 26, is soon here. In some congregations it is hailed as Christ the King Sunday, in others it has become known as the Sunday we focus on the Reign of Christ.

Some will sing “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!” (ELW 634) or “Crown Him with Many Crowns” (ELW 855) with gusto. Others will choose “Soli Deo Gloria” (ELW 878) or “Evening and Morning” (ELW 761), more gentle and subtle in both music and message. In my own congregation, the focus will be the end of the church year: Last Sunday of the Year.

Having a king doesn’t always turn out well for everyone, after all. Back in 1996, Gail Ramshaw, a scholar of liturgical language, wrote this when suggesting we call this “Last Sunday of the Year”: “I find the myth of the crown, like the crowns themselves, more greed and glitter than divine design.”

Throughout history, crown and throne have been associated with power that was misused and evil. And we’re sensitive to abuse of power and evil more than ever these days. It’s as palpable as the morning news.

So I look forward to November 26 as an opportunity to bid the year farewell, collectively and individually. Much like December 31, we have the chance to take stock of how we’re doing.

Don’t wait until New Year’s to make resolutions, theologian Karoline Lewis says: “Make this New Year’s Resolution Sunday.” On this Sunday (whatever we call it), we look back and look forward, and imagine God’s future and our role in it.

No, we won’t be singing “Auld Lang Syne” that week. But before shifting to Advent and all the anticipation it brings, my faith community will sing “Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing” (ELW 389):

“In ev’ry insult, rift, and war,

Where color, scorn, or wealth divide,

Christ suffers still, yet loves the more,

And lives, where even hope has died.” (v. 3)

 

Perhaps Dawn Chesser, preaching director for Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church, says it best in her liturgical reflection for The Last Sunday of the Year: “Affirm the victories and name the demons, but then let it all go and move on. Hope is coming. New life is just around the corner. God’s grace is the hope of the world.”

——-

Sources referenced:

“Transfiguring Monarchy” by Gail Ramshaw in “Liturgy Christ Reigns” Journal of The Liturgical Conference, Volume 13, Number 2.

Karoline Lewis, “Throne Mentality” from Working Preacher, Luther Seminary, November 16, 2014.

Dawn Chesser, Preaching Notes for Christ the King Sunday, Year B (November 22, 2015).

Today’s post is from Deb Stein, pastor at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Syracuse, NY.

Greetings from Syracuse, NY!

Last Sunday for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, St. Stephen in Syracuse, NY worshipped with two other congregations; those who also worship in our building.  Both are immigrant Christian congregations, not connected to the ELCA, except through us.   The small Burundi church understands English and didn’t want anything translated.  They were happy to be in among the assembly.  However, the Evangelical Living Church (ELC), a Burmese Chin congregation, doesn’t understand English as well, so we used an outline (with some explanations) of our joint worship up on their screen with a PowerPoint in Chin.  Detailed explanations were printed of what we’re doing and why in our English worship bulletin.  We worked closely with the ELC, over three weeks, to pull our Reformation worship together in both languages.  The Gospel was read in English by me and in Chin by Pastor Elisha Thwang.  Pastor Elisha also offered a prayer in Chin after the Thanksgiving for the Word.  In addition, the ELC choir, most of whom attend high school in the city, joined our own choir for the event.  Our worship was filled with the grace-filled readings, prayers, and joyful music in English and Chin.  We used the ELC’s version of an “Alleluia” for our Gospel Acclamation (to the tune of Amazing Grace: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia Amen… Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia Amen), and the ELC Choir, along with Pastor Elisha offered an Anthem in Chin, the title, of which translated: Standing on the Promises.

It was such an exciting day for us all – beyond my imagination for sure!  We had been talking about having a joint worship for some time, and Reformation Sunday just seemed to be the perfect day to do it.  It was a day to celebrate a church that is constantly reforming and always being made new.  In doing so, we embraced our differences, while lifting up all the things we have in common.  Last Sunday, nearly 500 years after Martin Luther offered up his 95 theses, St. Stephen sang A Mighty Fortress, together with folks from around the world, immigrants who came to the U.S. looking for a fortress of safety within our boundaries, sharing with us God’s own Mighty Fortress of grace and love for us all.  We used a modified Service of the Word, and I inserted hymns where ever we could fit them.  During the service, four of our youth affirmed their baptism in Confirmation, supported by every Christian present.  It was truly a joy-filled and uplifting celebration for everyone.

Our day wasn’t over!  We’d been partnering with another group, who meets in our building, The Society for Creative Anachronisms (SCA), which I think of as a cross between civil war reenactors and a renaissance fair.  The SCA worked with us to provide a 3-act play hosted by St. Stephen at 4:00 PM that afternoon, open to the public.  The third act was Martin and Katharina’s wedding, which was followed by a wedding reception in our fellowship hall.  The SCA created period decorations and costumes, as well as provided period food, music, and dance – all of it done as close to correct for Martin Luther’s time as possible!  The guests had the opportunity to take a turn at period dancing, so even I got in on the act!

We are grateful to have such wonderful connections, not only in the community but also in our own building, which has become a bit of a community itself.  We were blessed to have so many wonderful people taking part in our Reformation celebrations, even while many other Lutheran churches in our area were celebrating in different ways. Syracuse has been well represented in this 500^th year of the Reformation!