Explore the profound relationship between Christ's Incarnation and His Second Coming Advent, says Fleming Rutledge, is not for the faint of heart. As the midnight of the Christian year, the season of Advent is rife with dark, gritty realities. In this book, with her trademark wit and wisdom, Rutledge explores Advent as a time of rich paradoxes, a season celebrating at once Christ’s incarnation and his second coming, and she masterfully unfolds the ethical and future-oriented significance of Advent for the church. Book Sections Waiting and Hastening the Kingdom yet to Come (Pre-Advent) The Universal Grip of the Enemy (Pre-Advent) Justice and the Final Judgment (Pre-Advent) God’s Apocalyptic War (The Feast of Saint Michael) The Coming of the Lord (Last Sunday of the Church Year: The Feast of Christ the King) Advent’s Bold Claims This volume of Advent sermons, writings, and other resources contains bold claims that may be new to some readers. Since the Advent season has been so closely linked to Christmas over the years, it may be startling to hear that Advent is not simply a transitional season but in and of itself communicates a message of immense, even ultimate, importance. Of all the seasons of the church year, Advent most closely mirrors the daily lives of Christians and of the church, asks the most important ethical questions, presents the most accurate picture of the human condition, and above all, orients us to the future of the God who will come again. Advent’s Trajectory: A Celebration in Three Dimensions The past: God’s initiative toward the world in Christ (Christmas) The future: God’s coming victory in Christ (second coming, or parousia, made present by the power of the Spirit at Pentecost) The present: a cruciform (cross-shaped) life of love for the world in the present time (Epiphany, Lent, and Holy Week) Book Sections Continued Advent Begins in the Dark (Advent I) The Armor of Light (Advent II) Bearing Wilderness on the Brink (Advent III) Kind of the Last Things (Advent IV) A Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent Acclaim for Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ Richard B. Hays, Duke University 'Fleming Rutledge’s Advent preaching bursts upon us with the same elemental force as the preaching of John the Baptist. Rutledge’s fine crafting of language may be subtler than John’s, but she carries forward his incisive, apocalyptic message of judgment and hope. This is essential preaching for a church wallowing in self-referential sentimentality and caught in captivity to the compromises of the present political order. ' Marilyn McEntyre, author of Make a List 'Replete with rich, mature, vigorous theological reflections on Advent, this book is invigorating—edgy, intelligent, unflinching, and joyful in all it reclaims. A timely, lively prophetic word.' James K. A. Smith, Calvin College 'My not-so-secret hope is that Fleming Rutledge’s Advent would become required reading in our seminaries and the focus of vestry book clubs, elder retreats, and worship leader workshops. Because that would give me hope for an apocalyptic renewal in the church—that we would learn again how to live as an Advent people, hoping in a God who acts and is making all things new. Taking this book to heart would teach us how to live wisely, faithfully, and prophetically in the Time Between.' Michael J. Gorman, St. Mary’s Seminary & University 'Whatever you previously thought or said about Advent (and ‘pre-Advent’), this book will both challenge and deepen your understanding in ways never anticipated. For Fleming Rutledge, Advent is not merely preparation for Christmas, much less ‘the most wonderful time of the year.’ It is, rather, the season of difficult yet hopeful watching, waiting, and participating—the season that encapsulates the Christian life between Christ’s first and second comings..' Fleming Rutledge Fleming Rutledge is an Episcopal priest widely recognized in North America and the UK as a preacher, lecturer, and teacher of other preachers. Her sermons have been widely praised. Ordained to the diaconate in 1975, Rutledge was one of the first women to be ordained to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church (January 1977). She matriculated at General Theological Seminary and received her Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1975. For fourteen years Rutledge was assistant and then Senior Associate at Grace Church in New York City. She also served as interim rector of St. John's, Salisbury, Connecticut, and has twice been a resident Fellow at the Center of Theological Inquiry at Princeton. She has been a resident at Wycliffe College in the University of Toronto School of Theology, where she taught preaching, and also a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome. in 2017 her book The Crucifixion was named Christianity Today’s Book of the Year.
✔ Author(s): Fleming Rutledge
✔ Title: Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ
✔ Rating : 4.7 out of 5 base on (238 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 0802876196
✔ ISBN-13: 9780802876195
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Advent by Fleming Rutledge
Elaine Leonard
I must confess, this book made me shed tears like never before. The themes of love, loss, and resilience struck a chord with my soul. It was an emotional journey I'm grateful to have taken.
Daphne Garner
The author's writing style is so captivating; I couldn't put the book down. Every sentence was beautifully crafted, and the descriptions painted vivid images in my mind. A true literary gem.
Laura Hill
I loved the powerful messages hidden within the story. The book tackled important social issues and made me ponder the world we live in. It's a must-read for everyone.
