Monday, November 25, 2013

Prologue: Stir-Up... Monday?

I am thoroughly ashamed: I actually missed the very first marked day on the Calendar. I would like to say that I vow to never do this again over the next year, but I know that would be an empty promise. In some ways, it’s fitting, since my tardiness with this post can serve as a reminder that I will probably be late more often than early!

Why a scheduled post before the beginning of the Year? You will, of course, remember that Adventtide, the first proper Season of the Year, doesn’t actually start until 1 December. Nevertheless, I thought I would borrow a folk-tradition from England as a means of helping me to prepare to begin the new Year.

Yesterday was the last Sunday of the old Year, which is also Christ the King Sunday. In the old days, before Christ the King was an official festival (and it is fairly new as the Calendar goes), the Sunday before Advent was called Stir-Up Sunday in traditionally Anglican countries.

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The etymology for this term was twofold. First, the Collect for the day from The Book of Common Prayer is an eloquent plea to God to move in His people:
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer
The old tradition went that, when the common folk and cooks for the rich would hear the Collect that began “Stir up...”, they knew it was also time to prepare for Christmas, specifically the Christmas Pud, which had to literally be stirred up with brandy and let sit for a month before Christmas Day.

As we prepare for the new Christian Year, I think Stir-Up Sunday serves as an important reminder that we need God to be the source and Author of our Calendar. Traditions, festivities, and holidays are fun, but without the Spirit of God working in the doer, they are of little eternal significance.

Additionally, the other Prologue day for preparing for the new Year is American Thanksgiving (this coming Thursday). With respect to my dear friends from many other countries, I think it’s very apropos to begin the Christian Year with a day of Thanksgiving – more about that next Thursday – but for now, it’s also an important reminder that even our Thanksgiving must be stirred up within us by God.

I don’t do well with gratitude. The things that automatically illicit gratitude from me are often things that also illicit feelings of guilt for feeling grateful. For example, I love snow, ice, and cold weather, and my first reaction when I glimpse them, especially at the beginning of winter, is joy and gratitude. The second feeling, though, is guilt when I realise that the very things I’m most grateful for are causing distress and discomfort, and sometimes even death, for others.

Other things also have their guilt-inducing aspects: It isn’t properly American to enjoy tea time, chocolate is bad for one’s health, formality and elegance are wasteful and snobbish, the chance to sleep in is lazy, a hot shower is wasting water...

I know I need to be more thankful – and break the automatic feelings of guilt when I do feel grateful. I seem to be getting this message a lot lately and from everywhere. Yet I’m also keenly aware that I don’t seem to be able to ‘white knuckle’ gratitude. Sure, I can go through the motions and whisper the right words when the Prayers of Thanksgiving start, but I’m more often struggling to find what I should be thanking God for, and they are, more often than not, just words.

If I’m to be truly grateful, I think it has to start with God in me.

Lord, I’ve got nothing for You. All of my own intentions and tries flow from my own sin. Stir me up, Lord, that I can bear the fruit that You desire in my life. May the good works that I do find their source in You; may my gratitude flow from Your heart. And may You reward me for the work that You do in me.
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of Your faithful people, that they bringing forth the fruit of good works, may be richly rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen - Common Worship

2 comments:

  1. "Stir up" makes me think of tilling the earth to prepare it for seeds. Seeds that eventually "bring forth the fruit".

    I'm enjoying your blog, Joshua, and looking forward to reading more. Somewhere in the past few weeks, the idea came into my head that I would like to participate in the Christian Calendar this year, so I was excited to discover this blog of yours. In your posts I've already come across several concepts that are rather new to me -- the sort of concepts about which I think, "I want to think on that some more. That just might change my life".

    And regarding gratitude: thank you for sharing this journey of yours with others.

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  2. Thanks, Amy! I'm glad this is an encouraging project for you. I have to agree with what you said about reflecting more might just change our lives. I'm glad to have you along for the Journey!

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