I had a good start to this year’s Advent season, sitting in an almost dark cathedral in Derry last Sunday (December 1). The choir of St Columb’s commenced the annual Advent Procession on the traiditional theme of ‘Darkness into Light’, by singing from the gallery at the west end. They progressed towards the east end choir stalls and sanctuary in stages through the service of anthems, hymns, bible readings and prayers.
We had those wonderful Advent hymns like O Come, O come Emmanuel; Come thou long expected Jesus; Hills of the North rejoice, and Hark the glad sound the Saviour comes.
The highlight for me was their singing half-way along the aisle of the Magnificat, the biblical song of Mary, with magnificent solos from a most capable Treble boy chorister. It was as close to heaven as it got for me – a moment I will cherish. And for the choral cognoscenti, it was to the setting composed by George Dyson.
The moment was strengthened when before going forward into their choir stalls, the choristers enabled the lighting of candles which had been given to each member of the large and appreciative congregation. Together we moved from darkness in to light.
The occasion was well concluded by a most competently and sensitively played organ voluntary composed by Bach.
From my childhood I have been conscious of Advent. In the small, rural, parish where my faith was nurtured, the season was observed with four mid-week services. We were taught the simple but profound seasonal prayer – the Advent collect, and in Sunday School we had been introduced to the seasons of the Church’s year, including learning the hymn by Mrs CF Alexander, “Advent tells us Christ is near, Christmas tells us Christ is here, at Epiphany we raise…”.
Nowadays, most churches in my denomination include the lighting of a candle on an Advent wreath in their principal Sunday service. Other simple but profound activities can be found like a Jesse tree. More families are using this. Each day in Advent they read together a short account of one of the ancestors of Jesus and a symbol of that person is hung on the Jesse tree.
Advent calendars are now commonplace. Indeed there have been legitimate concerns about their commercial exploitation. That said, one which has integrity towards the faith story is a great way of raising a youngster’s awareness of the season.
Traditionally, the “reason for the season” is to mark this period before the annual observation of Christ’s birth by a time of spiritual preparation, similar to that provided by Lent before the annual observation of the death and resurrection of our Saviour.
There is a focus for each week of Advent. They are essential for an informed Christian faith. They are not easy themes to cope with. They are Heaven, Hell, Death and Judgment.
Advent challenges each of us to reflect on what heaven – the innermost presence of God – is about. Hell may be a place of torment, but biblically that torment is based on the realisation that an unrepentant sinner is permanently excluded from the gathering of those found to be faithful and who in the words of St John the Divine, stand before the throne of God, praising him.
Death and Judgment rest upon the early church’s conviction that the Christ Child will come again to this world he died to save, but he will come as a judge before whom each of us will stand and give an account of our stewardship in faith.
The Darkness into Light service in Derry reflected these four themes. I commend them to you.
First published in the News Letter, December 7, 2019
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