Tag: Christmas

Ordinary angels: A reflection for Advent

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all on whom Gods favor rests.” —Luke 2:13-14

Angels.

My life is far too commonplace, routine, normal, conventional, standard, typical, and well, ordinary, for an angel.

Anna Epp - Ordinary Angels: A reflection for Advent

I grew up being an angel in Christmas pageants at church, dressed in white with tinsel on my sleeves, moving as though I had wings. I never thought of angels any other way. And I knew for certain that one of these extraordinary angels had never appeared to me bringing good news of great joy.

As I grew up, angels became different, hard to think about, and maybe even hard to believe in. It’s not that I didn’t want to believe in them, but they became what was unknowable for me, but not for God.

My expectations of angels have changed since the days of tinsel trimmed sleeves, and running as fast as you can in the hopes that your feet may lift off of the snow-covered ground and fly.

Theologian Rowan Williams reminds us that angels are more than what fits into our annual church Christmas pageants; that “it is worth thinking about angels as a short hand description of everything that is around the corner in our perception, the things that are not a part of our understanding of the universe – including the universal song of praise that surrounds us always”.

Anna Epp - Ordinary Angels: A reflection for Advent

An angel may never appear to me as to the shepherds who watched their flock by night. Instead I wonder if angels are there in between my comings and goings, complemented by the universal song of praise of God’s presence that surrounds me always.

Angels are but ordinary friends who, around each corner of our perception accompany us along the journey, and whom we have the pleasure of never knowing.

“For nothing is impossible with God” the angel said.

May this season of advent heighten our awareness to all that is just around the corner in our perception.

May we be open to the possibilities of angels in our lives, and the way that God works in the ordinary.

May the unexpected nature of God continue to surprise us in this time of waiting.

Amen.

Anna Epp is in her third year of a BTS degree.

The most wonderful time of the year

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
With the students done testing, and everyone resting until the New Year.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Jason Friesen - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

There is no other break like the Christmas break for university students. The rest of our breaks are given to us with the assumption that we are going to do other things than actually take a break. In the fall semester we get reading days, and in the winter we get a whole reading week. But the name speaks for itself. These days aren’t meant for rest; they’re meant to let you catch up on your work, and to work on those assignments that are likely due right after the reading break.

Then there are the summer holidays. For university students, they get a whole four months away from the books. It’s a nice change of pace for sure, but that doesn’t mean that the work stops. Instead, students go right from final exams to summer jobs, because as we all know, school, textbooks, and dorms don’t pay for themselves.

But Christmas is a different story. The relief of finishing your last exam of the fall semester gives you a feeling that no other break does. It’s not like high school where you are “free” for a couple of weeks, but have upcoming January exams looming over your head the whole break. And for some, there’s added joy in the fact that they get to return home for the holidays, and see family that they haven’t seen since Thanksgiving.

Jason Friesen - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

With such excitement for a break, the Christmas holidays mimic the advent season for university students. Just as we wait for the coming birth of Jesus, university students long for a break from the many hours of classes and studying. Though it may sound silly to compare a university break to the birth of Jesus, I think there is something to it. God celebrates rest, and puts an emphasis on it with the Sabbath. Through Jesus, God gives us not only salvation, but also a reason to pause, and for this we should be thankful. God realizes that we all need to rest at some point, and Christmas has become one of those times.

The Christmas break, just like the coming of Jesus, represents new birth for students, as well. The Christmas break brings a new year, which brings new beginnings in itself. But it also marks the start of a new semester where we get to tackle new subjects, which is also refreshing.

So, whatever the Christmas break brings your way, make sure to pause and enjoy it. Enjoy the time spent with family and friends, the many tasty treats, and the traditions. But don’t just pause to enjoy the break from school; enjoy the fact that Christ was born to save us, and that he can give us rest.

Merry Christmas to you all.

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