I Bet You Know What's Coming Up... ✨
(Yep, it rhymes with 'shmadvent')
It’s truly unfathomable, but we’re already near the end of the year. Whereas 2020 took 837 months to complete, 2021 has lasted about 17 weeks in my book, give or take. Whoosh, indeed. 💨
This also means that it’s officially LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS until Advent begins. What? I know. It’s nearly here. 🤯
Advent is the start of the global Church’s liturgical calendar — in that regard, it’s sorta like a Spiritual New Year. The first Sunday of Advent begins another rotation around the ol’ wheel of rhythms and renewals, and I, for one, am eager to start it well.
I’m curious what you’d like to know more about the liturgical calendar. I’m no expert, and I definitely didn’t grow up knowing a plum thing about it, but I’ve learned a lot the past decade or so, and I’m continually learning more as my fascination and the spirit leads me.
I don’t want to pretend to be your be-all, end-all resource for all things Lit Cal*, but I’d love to demystify the beauty of this time-honored global tradition of recognizing how God has placed us within the bounds of time yet also with seasons and traditions that greet us, again and again, in a cycle of cadence and repetition. Living according to the liturgical calendar isn’t a burden or to-do list, it’s a gift, and the more I lean into it, the more I discover just how grateful I am for it.
Also, let this be a reminder: I’ve got a guide called Shadow & Light to help you walk through Advent. It sold out last year, so there’s a chance you weren’t able to get your copy — I don’t want that to happen this year! Lots of stores are currently out of stock; Amazon is one of the only ones with copies available.
If you order your copy NOW, while there are a few weeks to go until we start the season, you’re telling bookstores to stock up so they’re not out when others try to order just before Advent begins:
Thank you so much in advance!
And if you were able to get a copy for your shelves last year, consider forwarding this message on to friends and family you think would appreciate it this season as well. I’ve heard from quite a few people last year who followed the book together throughout Advent, be it in their small group or church, as well as long-distance as extended family and old friends. I love this idea so much.
Now, I’d genuinely love to hear from you: What are you curious about when it comes to the liturgical calendar? Is there anything you’d like explained, demystified, or simplified? Or if you’re already all about it, what’s your personal favorite thing about living in tandem with the calendar?
Use the comments section below to kindly share your Lit Cal thoughts if you got ‘em. I’m making this letter public, so feel free to share it with others!
Oremus pro invicem,
Tsh
*Call it this if you wanna be cool. Probably not, though.
I'm curious how you would describe ordinary time. In my mind, there are many traditions and rituals that define Advent, Christmas Lent, Easter, etc. What rituals and routines are traditionally associated with ordinary time? Or what are modern rituals we could embrace during ordinary time?
Yeah for this upcoming season! Your book is lovely. Learning about the liturgical calendar changed Christmas for me. I don't feel rushed to cram *everything* in December before Christmas; the perspective of preparation helped me slow down. I've also started scheduling things during the days of Christmas when we're all home on breaks from school and work. I really want to have a Twelfth Night party this year. I wish our culture still celebrated that way -- a focus on fun & gathering instead of a focus on buying stuff before Dec. 25th.
I don't know what I don't know out about the liturgical calendar so I'm not even sure what to ask. The only other calendar I know of where religious celebrations follow a seasonal rhythm is the Jewish holiday cycle. Is there any link between those holidays and what is celebrated on the Christian liturgical calendar?