New CC content on signs from God, apocalyptic music, how to endure, and more.
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** Advent in the time of authoritarianism
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I’m fairly new to Advent after spending most of my faith life in an evangelical tradition that seemed to be allergic to the church calendar. My sense is that this season before Christmas means many things to many people, what with the candles for hope, peace, joy, and love, themes related to apocalypticism and John the Baptist, an emphasis on waiting and preparation, and seasonal hymns, wreaths, trees, and calendars.
Some of these facets of Advent might feel a little tender this year after a tumultuous US presidential election. We have some great new articles that explore the collision of this season and this moment. Heidi Neumark describes Advent lessons she gleaned while living in a squatters’ camp in Argentina ([link removed]) . Jack Holloway makes the case that heavy metal music is apocalyptic ([link removed]) , prophetic, and timely. Valerie Weaver-Zercher reflects on the nature of endurance in discouraging times ([link removed]) .
Our video of the week features Tony Tian-Ren Lin, who offers an immigrant’s perspective on the precarious nature of democracy in the US and what we can do about it ([link removed]) . Plus scroll down for more great new content.
Jon
Email me (mailto:
[email protected]?subject=What%20Advent%20means%20to%20me%20this%20year&body=Jon%2C%20) : What does Advent mean to you this year?
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** Advent in the squatters’ camp ([link removed])
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“The Advent and Christmas readings tell us to look for signs. These might come in apocalyptic upheavals that shake the earth with terror and glory, but also in ordinary places—a fig tree sprouting leaves, a baby, a swaddling cloth, a manger.”
by Heidi Neumark
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** Music for the apocalypse ([link removed])
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“Heavy metal is no savior, but the genre’s apocalypticism helped shake me out of complacency. It estranged me from the meager half-measures offered by the powers that be and radicalized my sense of what is possible.”
by Jack Holloway
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** VIDEO: Can we save democracy in the US? ([link removed])
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Pastor and sociologist Tony Tian-Ren Lin chats with Jon about what is happening in the US and what steps we can take to help heal our society.
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** In the Lectionary for December 8 (Advent 2C) ([link removed])
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Being baptized requires becoming vulnerable to at least one other person.
by Catherine Healy
Advent 2C archives ([link removed])
Get even more lectionary resources with Sunday’s Coming Premium, an email newsletter from the editors of the Christian Century. Learn more ([link removed]) .
** A time to endure ([link removed])
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“It’s as if the writer of Ecclesiastes has been scrolling on my phone, too, wearying himself with the social media posts about what we’re all supposed to be doing in these days after the election.”
by Valerie Weaver-Zercher
** Dancing Contratiempo in Advent ([link removed])
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“Before we shimmy to the inn, we tether
our bodies to an instrument.”
poem by Alfonso Sito Sasieta
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