“Most Protestants today have no idea what occurred in the church for nearly a thousand years. Yet they are confident of one thing: Whatever did occur during the premodern era is not worth our time and can only corrupt Christianity,” wrote Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary professor Matthew Barrett earlier this year.
On the whole, the church calendar was seen as a Catholic invention. Protestants who were suspicious of innovations and trying to get back to the practices of the New Testament church got rid of it. (The Puritans never celebrated Christmas, much less Advent, either.)
This sentiment might very well apply to evangelical perceptions of Advent, where many regard the season as a predominantly Catholic ritual that has little to no purpose or relevance for one’s spiritual life.
But evangelicals all around the world today, from the Philippines to Brazil, do take part in Advent.
“These evangelicals come from historic denominations (e.g., Anglican, Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist) which take seriously the historical development of worship and make allowances for historical conditions in their practices while seeking to be faithful to implement biblical principles in contextualizing worship,” said Timoteo Gener, president of FEBIAS College of Bible in the Philippines.
In Brazil, Advent is the liturgical season that has received the most acceptance among evangelicals, says Daniel Vieira, director of the Lecionário project.
In Vieira’s opinion, experiencing the liturgical calendar well helps to develop a “sacramental vision of reality” that combats religious consumerism and re-emphasizes spiritual formation and discpleship.
That is why helping believers to distinguish between Advent and Christmas is a vital need for the Brazilian church right now, he adds.
“The biggest difficulty is to better understand the difference between Advent and Christmas and to observe Advent in an appropriate way, with the help of traditional Christian practices and a lectionary, a tool that we have been promoting in Brazil.”
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