You Choose the Order

I don’t remember the word being used, but the nearest activity to making Advent happen in December as part of my childhood Christmas was attending the late service at the Episcopal church. My mother was an Episcopalian and a nominal Baptist because she felt families should worship together. In the Baptist tradition we had stories from Matthew and Luke and sang very traditional carols. When the four Sunday celebration was introduced, I first did it at school (allowed then) with the symbol of a wreath and greenery and candles and an order of progression from promise to kings. I looked up a current approved order and found that Hope is usually first and Love last and the middle can be whatever mixture of Faith, Joy, and Peace is chosen. Joy doesn’t begin until the 14 in my church. I am sliding into it early because I have a story to tell.

A friend took me this past week to a symphony concert at the Rice University music hall. The stage was filled 112 talented performers. (I counted names in the program). The main piece was Prokofiev’s Suite from Cinderella. The program notes were very detailed about each section of the orchestra featured as the story unfolded. Several times mention was made of brass instruments providing emphasis for some scene. Though I could hear the tuba, they and various horns were blocked visually by rows of strings. At the end of Act III the prince journeys to Cinderella’s house and begins the sequence of trying on the lost shoe. The brass became louder and more defined and then, at the height, the percussionist rang his cymbals and held up two golden orbs whose vibrations sustained the triumph of the moment. I watched people on the row ahead of me. Faces broke into smiles and heads turned toward a seat mate. Music led to JOY!

For me, the next step on a perfect journey is knowing the joy that awaits. Even in a temporal life, moments of joy are the cherry on the sundae, if that’s what you like. A perfect souffle, a new home, a promotion, an unexpected reconnection with a friend. Sometime exuberant; sometimes as quiet as a child tiptoeing to a new baby and carefully extending a finger. That’s what good news brings whenever it happens – JOY! It took angels’ music to declare the ultimate reason to everyone. This is the way I learned it, Advent or not!

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.(KJV)

Luke 2:10