Advent

For the past few years, my nondenominational church has gone through the Advent candles and all. I have never really stopped to delve much further into Advent than the cursory “oh yeah, we’re in Advent” thing that would strike me as I went to church in the last five weeks of the year.

This year, after reading some about Reformed Theology from some friends, I am inspired to look into the whole Advent thing a bit more this year. I understand that Advent is not an exclusively Reformed concept by any standard, but I am also aware that much of the modern nondenominational Evangelicalism has thrown away many of the traditions that are not necessarily bad.

A lot of superstitious activity has sprung up around Advent, as tends to happen with many religious things. I think this may be one reason many Evangelical churches have discarded the entire concept. We do well to move forward by looking back.

Thus says the LORD:

“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But the said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

Jeremiah 6:16