30 November 2008

Ad Te Levavi

A wonderful first Sunday in Advent. We awoke this morning to a dusting of snow - nature announced: "Advent's here!" At both Divine Services, Cindi, David, Bekah and I did some work with chimes and the 2, 4, and 6th verses of "Savior of the Nations" - a lot of fun. Cindi, Sharon and Millie also sang a stunning Kyrie at both liturgies. At early service we were surprised that Pastor Asburry joined us - we were quite blessed that the first Sunday of his Sabbatical found him at St. Paul's! At Bible Class and late service, we were also blessed to have Pr. Gleason and family - he assisted at late Divine Service. They joined us at the parsonage for lunch, then moved some things into the teacherage garage. Lauren and Dean arrived as they were heading out and we set up the house for the holy days - and yes, I made the requisite molasses cookies. Then with all the kids home, Jo and Dave joined us for dinner (okay, well, BREAKFAST: eggs, bacon, toast, muffins). No cards today. Bekah had a paper to work on and Lauren and Dean needed to get going. She's driving back to Seward tomorrow. Sometime in the afternoon I finished next weekend's services and shipped those off to Joanie. All in all, a wonderful welcome to the joyous fast. May it be a blessing to each and every reader of this blog!

O Savior Child of Mary
Who felt our human woe,
O Savior King of glory
Who triumphed o'er the foe,
Bring us at last we pray
To the bright courts of heaven
And to the endless day.

4 comments:

Past Elder said...

Seward is maybe a little over an hour from here, but I would think it would be a good day's drive from where you are.

Rev. Josh Sullivan said...

Fr. Weedon, a member of my congregation and I are involved in a liturgical discussion and I thought you could help. When does Advent begin? I've always heard it said that Advent begins with teh first sunday in Advent. However, in the LSB daily lectionary (& therefore the Treasury as well), Advent season begins on November 27th. Is this in the LSB simply because Advent COULD begin that early, if that sunday is closest to St. Andrew's? Thanks.

William Weedon said...

Yup, Terry. 7 hours easy.

Josh, the Treasury was simply noting that Advent begins somewhere around that time. Since they went with the calendar year for the devotions, it was inevitable it would a bit hit and miss about the exact beginning of Advent, which is always begins on the Saturday at sunset on the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew's day. Thus, this year, Advent began on the 29th at sunset.

But there is good precedence for a sloppy beginning to Advent, since originally in many places it began even weeks earlier - hence the nickname "St. Martin's Lent" - for it began around St. Martin's day at the start of November.

My suggestion to those using the Treasury is to begin using the Advent responsory and such only on the Saturday Vespers before first Sunday in Advent, but use the daily propers as they stand.

Past Elder said...

The old St Martin's fast Advent was a 40 day period leading up to Christmas, as Lent is a 40 day period leading up to Easter.

It still is in the Eastern Church, but called the Nativity Fast rather than Advent. And they wear red, not purple (and not blue, which no-one ought to wear anyway).

Do you go through Independence Mo on the way? If so, hope you're not there when the New Jerusalem descends. Then again, maybe RLDS tossed that one aside along with the name RLDS.