As individuals:

 This holiday season may be the first in a new location

·  It may mark a significant change of status in our lives, such as, marriage, military deployment, or retirement.

·  It may be the first Christmas following the death of a loved one or the incapacity of the  family’s organizer. It is healthy to recognize the fact that … will no longer host or perform certain rituals.  

As congregations:

·    The church may be searching or transitioning to new pastoral leadership. Clergy retirements are often announced near the New Year, but if they can be announced at the beginning of Advent, a healthier transition can be arraigned.

·  Often churches that are planning to merge, close, or change locations will choose either the last Sunday of the year or Memorial day as their farewell service. In either case, the celebration of Advent can play a pivotal role in spiritually grounding the change.

Mark out an approximate 40-day period that starts with Advent, passes into the New Year, and ends near Epiphany (January 6^th). Note that the liturgical (church) calendar begins with Advent. Hitting the special dates (Christmas and New Years) is like hitting a golf ball – it is best done with preparation before and follow-through afterwards.

Forty is the number of transition. While in this period we may fast (refrain from certain acts or treats) or perform additional devotional acts. Our family has adopted the custom of having a soup supper with lighting of candles on the Wednesdays of transitional seasons.

In marking the forty-day season, visual clues are also important. We may wear purple or a special item of jewelry. A home or church altar display may be arraigned to emphasize the transitional nature of the season. You may wish to incorporate photographs related to the particular transition you are experiencing. Organic images of transition, such as butterflies, fall leaves, and sprouting seeds are also appropriate.

Wilderness – Advent is a meant to be a time of austerity and simplicity. We pare down what we carry in life as we travel through wilderness to a new place to call home.

Journey – Our transition may take us to an unexpected place. Mary and Joseph left Nazareth and traveled first to Bethlehem and then to Egypt before returning home. Journeys force us to depend upon God’s protection and providence. When we return from a journey we are not the same people. We, like the wise men, return by a different way.

Darkness & Solitude – Both the color purple and the night sky play a significant role in our Advent customs. We imagine ourselves like shepherds on the lonely hills. This provides a healthy backdrop to the reflective work of transition.

Waiting – Perhaps the hardest lesson to learn in the midst of transition is the necessity of waiting.

Advent: The Isaiah 40:1-11 (as well as the verses that follow) Advent passage emphasizes the fact that God is in charge of history and has a plan is seen in the long preparation time for the coming of the Messiah.  Paying attention to the ancient Messianic prophecies becomes a parallel in worship to the congregation paying attention to its own church history. As individuals and congregations, our transitions become more healthy when we step back and take a long-view of our history.

The New Year:  Comfort and courage are to be found in our faith in God who rules history.  Times and seasons change, but the love of God does not.

Scriptures: Psalm 46, Psalm 90, Psalm 121, Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, Romans 8:28-39, Hebrews 1:1-4, 10-12,  Revelations 21:1-5

Epiphany:  The wisdom of the wise men is contrasted with the folly of Herod.  They were open to a new future, even though they didn’t understand what God was bringing about with the change they saw in the heavens. Do we respond to changes with fear or awe? The story of the “Slaughter of the Innocents” may be shared as a way of talking about how trauma can play a part in God’s greater plan. Scripture: Matthew 2:1-18

John the Baptist prepares people to live changed lives following their new messiah.  Scriptures:

Genesis 6:1 - 9:17             Noah and the Flood

Jonah 1:17- 3:3             Jonah and the Whale

John the Baptist            Matthew Chapter 3

All baptism stories can be told as transitional examples.