Disappearing Advent

I'm not doing the Advent candles this year. I know this is a huge failure on my part. I appear to be thumbing my nose at tradition, ancient ritual, and, some would say, the Christ Child Himself. I'm supposed to like this stuff. After all, I recently abandoned our regular prayer meeting on Wednesday nights in favor of Lectio Divina and I can't get enough of it. It seems like Advent would be right up my alley.

The truth is Advent as never done much for me. Before I became a pastor I kind of thought it was a waste of time during the church service. I didn't get the warm, fuzzy feelings I was supposed to. The first few years after I became a pastor I had to rush to get it ready because it starts so soon after Thanksgiving it caught me off guard. Two years in a row we had to use candles from the previous year the first week because I forgot to pick up new ones.

I finally got on top of it and was well prepared for Advent but it still didn't move me. It just seemed to be one more thing packed in to an already busy season. It didn't seem to be doing much for anyone else either so I decided to drop it this year.

No one has asked about it yet so apparently no one else is missing it...yet. I'm sure someone will remember it or at least be reminded of it by a friend who goes to a "real" church that does things right. Then I'll get asked about it.

I may go back to it in the future. I just don't know. But for this year our Advent has disappeared. (Sorry, I can't help pointing out the irony.) At least the ritual has. I am glad He did really appear though.