Advent rediscovered by Southern Baptists

Baptist Press ^ | 2015 | David Roach

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Late preaching professor Calvin Miller once quipped to Christianity Today that many Southern Baptist churches “probably could hardly spell Advent” in the early 1990s.

Not so anymore.

So why the shift?

Church historian Stan Norman said Baptists have begun to see the usefulness of traditions once viewed as too liturgical or high church. Advent wreaths, calendars and readings “seem to provide a bit of structure in a tradition that has maybe gone too far without structure,” Norman, provost of Oklahoma Baptist University, told Baptist Press.

The focus on Christ inherent in Advent celebrations is needed “in a cultural context in which we are battered on every side to be diverted away from that,” Norman said.

Advent, derived from a Latin word meaning “coming,” refers to a four-week period of preparation in Western churches leading up to Christmas. For most believers who observe it, Advent is a time of reflecting on Jesus’ first coming and preparing for His second coming.

Advent became a recognized Christian festival in the sixth century, some 400 years after followers of Jesus began to celebrate Christmas… The festival was a staple of the Christian calendar by the High Middle Ages (1000-1300)… Change came with the Protestant Reformation, when there was “a trimming of the calendar by all of the Protestants” in an effort to bring church activities in line with the instructions of Scripture…

Puritans — believed churches should eliminate all worship practices without clear biblical warrant…In fact, they eliminated all Christian celebrations except the Lord’s Day.

Early Baptists, with many of their roots in Puritanism, “would have shared that sort of attitude.”…Not until the late 1700s did Baptists’ aversion to Christmas start to shift…

[CondoleezzaProtege]

[Belteshazzar]

Reinventing the wheel gets old, and stale.

[crusty old prospector]

Go get’em, Danny.

[Combat_Liberalism]

Okay. One habit that won’t change is that Baptists don’t like to wait until Christmas eve or Christmas day to sing Christmas carols, and the secular world is right there with them on that. At least the Baptists don’t sing “Here Comes Santa Claus” on the first Sunday of Advent.

Baptists don’t understand the difference between beautiful Advent hymns and lovely Christmas hymns or carols. They miss the profound meanings of the words of Advent hymns. None of the most beautiful of them are doctrinally suspect. They are about waiting, and about what happens leading up to the birth of the God man as an infant.

Christ child aborning is something several other conservative denominations patiently wait for.

Does it really matter? Waiting steadfastly for the birth of the Christ child gives the day of his birth a different meaning and feeling. It helps to teach us to await the end of the church age when Christ will make another appearance on earth.

At least Baptists don’t bring out the Christmas carols in July.

“Creator of the stars of night,
your people’s everlasting light
O Christ redeemer of us all,
we pray you hear us when we call....”

[lee martell]

I have noticed more advertisers naming sales campaigns after Advent this year. Before now, that time period in December almost never got any mention. This season, I’m seeing Advent candles, candy. calendars and coffees for sale.
Apparently, this is what some marketers do when they are afraid to use the word Christmas. Don’t be afraid. Shout it out!

[lee martell]

Emanuel is one of my absolute favorites.
I want to hear it sung with care, not rushed through, devoid of any feeling.

[Combat_Liberalism]

Yes, slowly, including all eight beautiful verses.

Verse 3: O come O come thou Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times didst give the law
in clouds and majesty and awe
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Those 8 verses are almost a summary of scripture and the gospel. When some are left out for the sake of speed, the knowledge of the Lord decreases.

[miele man]

Maranatha!

[CondoleezzaProtege]

My favorite hymn 🥹

[Campion]

Those are actually a gloss on the "O Antiphons," which are the Vespers Gospel canticle antiphons for the 7 days before Christmas Eve.

If you want to hear them in their natural environment, click here

[daniel1212]

Church historian Stan Norman said Baptists have begun to see the usefulness of traditions once viewed as too liturgical or high church. Advent wreaths, calendars and readings “seem to provide a bit of structure in a tradition that has maybe gone too far without structure,” Norman, provost of Oklahoma Baptist University, told Baptist Press...Advent became a recognized Christian festival in the sixth century, some 400 years after followers of Jesus began to celebrate Christmas…

Being ignorant of the NT and history, they do not know why the NT church did not practice annual liturgical seasons, aside from gathering on the first day of the week - that being the only specific day an actual NT church is recorded as meeting on (including the risen Lord with them). For such genders lifeless formalism with it perfunctory professions, and even legalism if one does not go along with an annual invented and imposed annual "holy days" (mainly Christmas), while the church is to be led by the Spirit, including how long the service will last.

The only mention of a liturgical seasons in any NT church is a negative one. (Gal. 4:10

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Christmas trees are pagan too…🎄❄️🌟