advent reflections

’Tis the season!

Each year, as a family, we strive to approach Christmas for what it is: a celebration of Christ’s coming as Immanuel, God With Us.

To remember that this was not a random cosmic happening, we read our way through a scriptural journey that recalls how His coming was a fulfillment of something long-anticipated by His people, Israel - the completion of a covenant that He made and a plan that He put in place from the very beginning of time until its fulfillment in Christ’s coming. We recall His covenant to be our God and to save us from separation from Him, and we listen and marvel as His promise unfolds, most mysteriously.

It was a promise to the patriarchs, professed by the prophets, prepared by John the Baptist and pondered by Mary.  It is truly the most epic narrative of all time. The cast of characters is completely perplexing and oddly chosen. The plot twists are many; the tensions, thick; the climax, dramatic; and the redemptive yet totally unexpected ending, glorious and arresting. 

When we arrive at the end, we realize, with awe and wonder, that we’ve really just come to a new beginning! What we’ve just read is really like the prequel for the very journey we are on now. He has arrived, but we haven’t. Like the Israelites, we, too, are waiting. We realize that while we have received the promise of redemption, we are now waiting for its completion in Christ’s coming again. Only, unlike the cast of characters in the first movement, we now have Immanuel, God With Us, in the person of Jesus. We are not alone. 

And those promises, professions, preparations, and ponderings? They have each and all been fulfilled in Christ! Now, we realize, with breath caught in our throats, that we are waiting again… for their fulfillment in us, which will be made complete when Christ will come again: “Christ in [us], the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) That final ending is certain, yet it will be surpassingly glorious and likely far more surprising than the first. Can you even begin to imagine?

And so, we try. We try to imagine. As a family, we attempt to engage all the senses to enter into what that first movement was like. We read, discuss, and reflect. We smell burning incense and imagine the priests of old. We make art and hang ornaments that symbolize each scriptural reading along the journey of that first movement, realizing that we are a part of the second. And we listen. 

We listen to music that moves us to consider the story with emotion and movement, and as we do, I have found it surprising how many lyrics of familiar Christmas hymns directly correlate to specific scriptural texts of this journey, and yet… we seem to be so overly familiar with them that, typically, we miss this profound connection. 

Last year, a friend flippantly and half-jokingly suggested that I start work on a new musical project for Advent. I had shared with him some of the artwork we made for our family observance of the season, and he commented that it should comprise the album art for the cover of my next project. That started me on a journey at my piano that I did not expect. 

Four months and fifteen songs later, I have a (nearly) complete collection of songs that are a musical interpretation of that epic scriptural narrative I just described. Each song “came” as a complete surprise to me… and a beautiful gift, as the sound and structure of each one has imparted the significance of the scripture to my heart and mind in ways I had never before known or considered. 

I want to share that experience with you. And so, I offer to you my musical collection of Advent scriptures together with personal reflections that I hope will serve to freshen and deepen your experience and understanding of these likely familiar scriptures set to unfamiliar tunes.  

These are not crafted to be particularly festive songs - I’ve not created a cheery, feel-good set of carols (although those do have their place). These are reflective musical works that are meant to express the hope, confusion, comfort, and mystery of those scriptures that tell of God’s unfolding promise in Christ. Lest that lead you to think the songs are heavy and thick, fear not! They are mostly gentle and contemplative, almost childlike in their approachability - this is story-telling music. The songs are meant to evoke wonder at the first coming of the long-expected Christ, and enduring hope for the second.

I hope they do this for you.