Marginal Christianity

“Advent creates people, new people.” ( Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas ) Zephaniah 3:14-20/Isaiah 12:2-6/Philippians 4:4-7/Luke 3:7-18 Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Advent The “waiting which hastens” is a key scriptural text for Advent we have discovered. Bonhoeffer helps us better understand this when he says, “ Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten. It wants to break open the ripe fruit when it has hardly finished planting the shoot. But all too often the greedy eyes are only deceived; the fruit that seemed so precious is still green on the inside, and disrespected hands ungratefully toss aside what has so disappointed them ( God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas ). Waiting (for the fruit of Advent to ripen) hastens the coming of the day of the Lord (because it matures us) to practice Christmas as we should. And how is that? Bonhoeffer again: “Who among us will celebrate Christmas correc...

Advent Begins in the Dark with God                                                                                                                                       (Year C, 2 nd Sunday 2018) (Malachi 3:1-4 / Luke 1:68-79/ Philippians 1:3-11/ Luke 3:1-6) Advent begins in the dark. So we have seen. But that does not mean w...

“What other time or season can or will the Church ever have but that of Advent!” [i]                                          Karl Barth                                                                                                                ...

  By christena on November 28, 2014 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:2   In post-Ferguson America, now more than ever, we must rescue Advent from its Western cultural captivity. I sigh with relief when I’m reminded that Advent isn’t what so many of us think it is. We’ve been tricked by chocolate-filled Advent calendars and blissful Christmas pageants that gloss over the very real evil that makes the Messiah’s coming so very necessary, so very loving, and so very heroic. Advent isn’t a holiday party. It doesn’t pressure us to conjure up a hopeful face, ring bells, and dismiss the foulest realities we face. Advent isn’t about our best world, it’s about our worst world. I think we eat the chocolate and put on the pageants because we don’t want to face the worst. But we do the Light a disservice when we underestimate the darkness. Jesus entered a w...