Our congregation had a discussion about the Advent Conspiracy the other day. The general idea is that the Church should move away from the consumerism that hides the true meaning of Christmas. Our congregation, faithful Episcopalians, adherents to high, high worship, focused the discussion on the shopping mall’s early advertisement of the season, and were very upset that so few people understood that Christmas does not begin until December 25, lasting 12 days (as it strictly states somewhere, I am sure). This, they proclaimed, is when we should do all our decorating and celebrating. But, as I see it, this is just another way we lose the ‘true meaning’ of Christmas. To return to a spiritual celebration of G-d With Us would, in my mind, imply that we not only leave the falsity that consumerism creates, but that we would also acknowledge our tendency to create meaning through Church calendars and the codification of beliefs; a tremendum et fascinosum that bows to ceremony rather than the mystery and presence of G-d in our daily lives.
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