We Got Rhythm but what kind

We are moving into the busiest time
of the year, and in a world that seems to grow faster and busier by the day perhaps like me you feel that
is not good news for any of us. It seems
the shops are full of Christmas decorations and toys earlier than ever and
everything about the upcoming season is already demanding more of our time and
energy.

When Christmas is over, I wonder
how many of us will look back on the season with a sense of betrayal. There is
no greater contrast between the world’s focus and the Christian
meaning of the season. What should be an
opportunity to strengthen our faith and model our Christian values to the world has become instead the greatest
display of materialism and consumerism imaginable.  Even non Christians buy Christmas cards and hold celebrations.

How can we counteract these insidious
forces? Dare I mention it – we all need to
develop rituals that help us connect our everyday lives to our faith – particularly at this season.  Those of you that know me well will recognize this as one of my passions.  Unfortunately, as evangelicals, we shy away
from the very mention of the word ritual because it conjures up images of legalistic
practices from the past or of New Age or pagan rituals that we know have
nothing to do with our faith. Sadly,
when our faith does not provide these rituals the secular culture quickly jumps
in with its quasi spiritual offerings. Massage therapy, aromatherapy, a day at the local health spa and our
increasingly secularized and materialistic approach to Christmas all tantalize
us with the promise of peace and relief from our stressed out lives. Tragically people of faith are just as likely
to be sucked in by these rhythms and ignore the rich traditions from their faith that should
provide the rituals for their lives.

There is a
growing recognition of our need for practices that flow from our values and
enable us to develop a rhythm that helps us cope with the escalating stresses
of life. Psychologist and life coach,
Martha Beck, admits “I know that ritual is an incredibly powerful psychological
process…Modern Western culture has had most of the ritual stripped from it,
leaving us less grounded and more alienated than many so-called primitive
peoples. By putting ritual back into your life, you can help ease stress and
enhance enjoyment, benefiting everything from your immune system to your
parenting skills, to your creativity.”[1] She encourages us to make rituals simple and
meaningful so that they won’t overwhelm us or add to our burdens. Simplicity also means we are more likely to
stick to them.

My husband Tom and I are “Anglicans
come lately”. We did not grow up in with
a liturgical tradition, but in the last few years we have embraced the custom
of the Advent wreath with great enthusiasm. Each morning during the Advent season we take a few minutes before
breakfast to light the appropriate candles and read the scriptures for the day
from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. It is a wonderful way to center our lives on the real celebration – the
coming of Emmanuel – God with us, God in us, God for us. We also like to enter into the celebration
aspects of the season, however – not trying to out party the partygoers but
rather to focus our joy and celebration on the true meaning of the season. Each
year we hold an annual Advent party that highlights our anticipation of the
return of Christ and the coming of God’s Kingdom in all its fullness when all
things will be made new.

Before the
Christmas season gets started you may like to take some time to really prepare
this year. Develop some short rituals
for you and your family to use throughout the year that enable you to enter
into the joy of Christ’s birth and the wonder of God coming into our world to
dwell among us without the overwhelming pressures of consumerism

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[1] Martha
Beck, “Creating Special moments that enhance and enrich your life” Real
Simple April 2000, p192