A Class for the Season of Advent
Advent, which begins the church’s liturgical year, is the season that anticipates and awaits the coming of Christ into the world.
To help us experience the hope of Advent together, First Church will offer a series of four online classes led by our parish associate, the Rev. Barbara Chaapel, on Wednesdays November 30 through December 21 from 5 to 6 PM.
The theme of the series, “Beginning in Darkness,” recognizes that the world Jesus was born into centuries ago as well as the world Christ enters today, can be a very dark place. We all know the darkness of tribal politics, environmental degradation, racial injustice, human suffering brought by war, poverty, and disease. The Christ of Advent does not turn away from such darkness, but is born in the midst of its reality, in a country fraught with crime and corruption, in a stable in the dark of night. The hope and light of the world begins in darkness.
Each class will present scripture, poetry, and a story from the news to help us reflect on darkness, and on the seeds of light within it that are awaiting birth. There will be time for reflection on the texts, sharing, silence, and prayer. In the final class, in December 21, we will experience the winter solstice together, the longest and darkest night of the year, when the sun itself stands still, waiting.