Pastor's Corner: Have Yourself a Medievil Advent

Planning for Advent is one of the most difficult tasks for the preacher, particularly for those of us who have preached a lot of Advents over the years. It's that time of year when your local Walmart store has been stocking Christmas items since late September, when Christmas carols play 24-7 on certain radio stations, and when shopping ramps up to a frenetic pace. People in church clamor for Christmas carols during Advent services. That bouncy song "We Need a Little Christmas Right This Very Minute," seems less a hope and more of a command during the weeks leading up to the Big Day.

But it wa...