I don’t have to tell you that in life we go through all kinds of seasons; seasons of preparing, seasons of celebration, seasons of difficulty, and seasons of sadness. If we experience such variety in life, why shouldn’t our worship experiences acknowledge and provide language for each of these?
The typical worship experience in America today is very lopsided. It tends towards joyous praise every Sunday. Sure, as Christians who are living in God’s grace and looking forward to eternity with Jesus, we do have a lot to celebrate. But if your dog just died, do you really want to be around a bunch of smiling people and waving your hands in the air the next Sunday like everything is OK?
The Christian calendar is unique in that it purposely makes room for all human experiences. In Lent we lament. At Christmas and Easter we celebrate. During Advent we prepare. In the season after Pentecost we get on with the business of being the Church. There’s room for everything. And we do it together.
That’s important. Whether you are celebrating or lamenting, it’s best to do it with those who share your values. It makes the expression of the seasonal emotion more intense and more fitting. The shared experiences also draw us together. And one season leads to another; the lamenting of Lent gives way to the celebrating of Easter, and it’s celebration is all the more sweet because of the lamenting that came before.
So as we travel together through the oft-overlooked season of Advent, dive in. Wait. Prepare. Don’t jump to the celebration of Christmas. This season matters, and so does the whole human experience.
