"Marking Time" - Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year

[Nic Nelson]

This thread is specifically for the TUMI-LA class "Marking Time - Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year", but others are welcome to join the discussion, either now or at any time in the future.

Greetings, fellow classmates!

Since we missed our Starbucks gathering on December 5, let's have that discussion here instead. Please keep each post to 200 words or less.

On p.24 of Ancient-Future Time, Robert Webber says:
It is Christ who determines the Christian year, and it is through the practice of Christian-year spirituality that Christ is formed in us.

Is Webber putting too much stock in the liturgical calendar? If so, how would you change his statement? If not, where do the other spiritual disciplines and graces come into play?

[Hank Voss]

Nic, to respond to your question, I would say that the Christian Year seems to me to be more an answer to a problem, then a requirement of Scripture. In some ways it is an example from historic church practice that parallels the development of the doctrine of the Trinity. Both the doctrine of the Trinity and the Christian year were tools developed by the ancient church to address specific challenges (read problems) of their day and age. One addressed doctrinal issues, one educational and liturgical issues.

The problem the Christian year addresses are twofold, namely: 1) how do we organize our time to stay focused on Christ in a culture that gives Him no time (it is literally illegal to do so in our schools)? Related to this issue of time, is the question of: 2) how we can read, memorize, and meditate on Scripture and keep a Christological focus instead of a narcissistic one?

The Christian year is a tool designed to keep both our time (e.g. this month we are choosing to meditate on the Advents of Christ, rather than the consumerism demanded by our culture), and our reading (e.g. lectio divina) of scripture, Christ focused.

Biblically, we are not required to keep the Christian year, but we are required to redeem the time, keeping both our focus, and the focus of the community that we lead, centered on Christ. Biblically, we are required to read scripture in such a way that focuses more on Christ than on me.

Most of us need some help with these two areas (ordering our time, hearing the Word in Scripture). The Christian year provides a tested solution that has worked well across generations and across cultures for some 1500 years. Western Evangelicals (i.e. North Americans) have much to learn from its rhythms. :) I am not aware of a better tool from a Christian educational/pastoral perspective. Are you?

[bcully]

With the Webber quotes isolated like that, it seems to be overstated, but I guess he would not disagree with my qualifier that yes, it is Christ who determines the Christian Year, that is, it centers around Him, but that "the practice of Christian-year spirituality" is only one way "that Christ is formed in us."

Hank speaks to some excellent points as well, and I would not disagree with him.

[Nic Nelson]

Oh, I agree that the Christian Year is a great thing, not just in history or as a general spiritual aid but specifically for churchplanting in urban America today. In fact, just a little way up the page from the sentence I quoted, Webber himself qualifies this statement... except you have to apply that qualification forwards, and assume he doesn't mean exactly what he says in this later sentence.

So, Webber says "it is through the practice of Christian-year spirituality that Christ is formed in us."

I have never consciously practiced the Christian year, not in the way either Webber or Don Davis describe it. I have made all the mistakes Webber and Davis decry. Yet Christ was somehow formed in me.

Rather than debunk or defend Webber's sentence, let's expand it: within, or alongside, or perhaps in addition to the things Webber describes about the Christian Year, how do the other spiritual disciplines and graces come into play?

[Nic Nelson]

What are some highlights from your reading so far? Has this class inspired you to do anything different for Advent or Christmas?

[Hank Voss]

Our family has done things differently using the Christian Year. One of the things it has helped us with in our family devotions is focusing in on the different events of Jesus' life. There is an outstanding DVD available that has the book of Matthew word for word acted out (NIV version), and we have enjoyed watching the weekly text and sometimes acting it out!

One thing we did this year which I hope becomes an annual tradition was act out the whole Christmas story on Christmas day. Overall, I would say practicing advent helped significantly in at least moving my focus from consumerism and some of the difficulties our family had at Christmas time towards a focus on Christ.

One thing that Epiphany emphasizes is hospitality, manifesting Christ to the world (See Webber, 91-93). Any thoughts on practically practicing hospitality this season, especially towards those around us who might not know Christ?

[Nic Nelson]

Glad to hear you are putting our readings into practice! I love what you're doing. And, I must admit that I'm not applying all this as well as you are.

It occurs to me that practicing the Christian Year, in whatever creative ways we do that, requires a certain amount of space: physical space, emotional space, a reserved margin of time and energy and attention. Since my church does not follow the Christian Year, the spiritual space in my life that stress and crises cannot encroach upon gets filled up with other things: "good" things, even godly things, but not the rhythm of reenactment we are learning about in this class. That makes it very hard to live out.

(the same lack of space makes it hard to live out Christian hospitality too)

Has anyone else struggled with this?

[Hank Voss]

Nic,

Great personal reflections and observations. I will wait a few days before responding myself, to give others an opportunity to chime in to the discussion.

Instead, I want to make some resources available to the class.

For several of you this is your first TUMI course, and the exegetical paper may feel a little scary! If this is your first time writing one, you can use the attached guide, called "exegetical paper--three steps." This will take you through the three steps that we use at TUMI for exegetical papers. Let me know if you have any questions.

Secondly, your final is not due until the end of February, but I have attached it also in case you want to start working on it. It is a more praxis orientated final then a normal TUMI course, but it will hopefully be helpful as you seek to practically apply what we have been learning.

Now back to the discussion, and I hope to see most of you at Starbucks this week!

Grace,

Hank