Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year

by Robert E. Webber

Millions of Christians worldwide follow the liturgical Christian calendar in their worship services and in their own personal devotions. The seasons of the Christian year connect believers of diverse backgrounds and offer the sense of unity Jesus desired.

Robert Webber believes that we can get even more out of the Christian calendar. He contends that through its rich theological meanings the Christian year can become a cycle for evangelism and spiritual formation. He offers pastors, church leaders, and those of the "younger evangelical" mind-set practical steps to help achieve this end, including preaching texts and worship themes for Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Advent, and Christmas.

Genres: Theology, Spirituality, Christian Living, Christian, Church, Nonfiction, Religion

206 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is basically an introduction to the liturgical calendar for evangelicals. This may be new for some but has been around for a long time. The concepts here can help enrich our worship experience.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[Donner Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Webber has written an inspiring guide especially for Christians who are learning to appropriate the practice of observing the Christian Liturgical Calendar. He does a good job in explaining how this ancient-future discipline is a great aid to spiritual formation and lays out the full Calendar of seasons from Advent to Pentecost and the special festive days such as Baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration, Good Shepherd, Christ the King Sundays. By reflecting on the themes of these special days and seasons, he helps us enter more deeply into the celebration. He also suggests the peculiar disciplines such as fasting, baptism, giving and cake-cutting (!) that go with the respective festivals as well as questions for our group/individual study and reflections. To be sure, it can be pretty exhausting trying to read it from cover to cover. It is better to be used as a reference as we move through the liturgical seasons like trekking the himalayas with a good map and an experienced Sherpa. I have found this approach to be extremely nourishing and formative. Webber is a wise guide in the area of spiritual formation and he writes with clarity and unusual eloquence. I thank God for his invaluable and lasting legacy.

P/S: For readers who have reservations about festive observance as a valid Christian discipline in view of texts like Col 2:16-17 and Gal 4:10, they should take heart that these texts have more to do with clinging back to the now, from the Christian POV, obsolete Jewish festivals which were a shadow of Christ, not the reality. Clearly the issue is not with the observance of seasons and times per se (which the early Church evidently practised such as the Lord's Day and plausibly Easter) but the failure to recognize the *Time* of God's inbreaking kingdom in Jesus the Christ. Further, Rom 14:5-10 gives at the minimum the freedom to observe sacred days as one is so persuaded in his own heart. And it certainly should be done in the spirit and context of Christian liberty and spiritual formation, than as a legalistic thing. Hope this helps!

[Lyndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction and resource for those interested in understanding and observing the Christian year. I had Bob Webber in college and even then he had an enthusiasm and heart for the evangelical and contemporary Church to gain a deeper spirituality through a return the liturgical calendar. This "Ancient-Future" series (along with the many other books he's penned) is a both a solid theological explication for observing the liturgical seasons and a pastoral/devotional application that allows the reader to contemplate Jesus Christ on every page.

[Nathan Marone]

Webber's primary focus as an author is on worship. This book takes the subject of the church calendar and helps us to see how it impacts our worship. Ancient-Future Time is a good resource for anyone organizing Sunday morning services. There are nice insights on each season in the calendar and suggestions for how to implement themes in the worship context. I imagine I'll return to it in the coming years for reflection.

[David Westerveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

This probably wasn't the most exciting writing style, but I did make a lot of highlights in this book. Beyond just looking at how the Christian Year might be implemented, I found it helpful in just thinking about how worship in general might be done and thought about.

[Andrew Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good intro to the liturgical year and will be a book I come back to throughout the year as I lead my family through the year.

[Josh Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic work. I may buy a box of these and give them out to our congregation.

[Wendy Gierhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful reflection on the liturgical church calendar that has inspired my own spiritual practices as well as useful for church ministry. Very practical and one I will reference back to regularly.

[Danny Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on cultural spirituality.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we go about our lives striving for power, success, and wealth and seek things for ourselves and yet attend worship, listen to the Word, and take bread and wine into our stomachs, we are no better than dead Israel. God cannot be in our worship because God is not in our lives. Our worship becomes mechanical, dull, dreary, and rote. Our lives drift further and further away from God and from his will, and the sense of God’s absence becomes more and more acute. That is what happened to Israel. Advent is a time when we ask, even plead with God not to leave us alone, for when God leaves us to our own choices and turns us over to our own ways, we are certain to drift from him. Our indifference to God is soon turned into spiritual boredom, a boredom that leads to spiritual inertia and ultimate death to spiritual realities. Advent is a time to cry, “O God, turn me away from my indifference, create in me a heart of repentance, and lead me to the waters of spiritual refreshment.”
Location: 601

He was by his very lifestyle as well as his words a confrontation, calling people to repentance and conversion of life.
Location: 654

Next, John the Baptist is an example of the kind of person God can break in upon and use. He was a person whose sole mission in life was to serve God. He wanted nothing for himself. He shunned fame, wealth, and family to do God’s bidding. He had no thought for self and gave all he had to point to Christ and not to himself.
Location: 660

Lent orders our spirituality back to its beginnings, back to the basics of repentance and faith. Luther captured the meaning of Lenten spirituality when he called upon his followers to “live in your baptism.” To live in one’s baptism is to be continually renewed by the commitment of our original spiritual experience.
Location: 1884

[Jacob Aitken]

This book is written in the same vein and format of Webber's other ancient-future books: Christ is victor over the powers and Christians are now to live in terms of that victory. Webber takes that theme and applies it to the Christian year. In short, he argues for a return to the Christian calendar as a guide to spiritual formation.

Content:
The Christian year is thus: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, // Lent, Triduum, Easter. The two cycles mirror each other: Anticipation (Advent, Lent), Fulfillment (Christmas, Triduum), and Proclamation (Epiphany, Easter). The Christian is to anticipate the coming of Christ/the cross of Christ; The Christian is to celebrate the fulfillment of the Story (Incarnation) and the defeat of the powers (Easter). Afterwards, the Christian is to celebrate the proclamation.

The book is not hard reading but it is unusual for most Western Christians (be they any tradition). We are not used to thinking like this so the book forces us re-read certain parts. And it raises some questions it didn't intend.

Conclusion:
I did enjoy the book and to my ability plan to incorporate its spiritual formation. It wasn't on the same level as his Ancient-Future Worship, but it does provide much meat for the interested one. I appreciated his discussions on Christus Victor and his warning not to let apologetics eclipse the Easter message. I have one question that I would like to see someone in this model answer: Colossians 2 warns against Jewish festivals and asceticisms. While I love the idea of festival in AFT, how do we maintain festival without falling into the warning of Colossians 2? I am willing to be convinced.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I write this review with incredible bias:
1) because this book changed my life
2) because the man who started my current church studied under Webber.

Fantastic introduction to the liturgical calendar and the spirituality God allows it to evoke in us. Webber has friendly tone while not losing depth. For anyone interested in the liturgical year, specifically how it can transform one's spirituality, I'd point you toward this book as a good starting place.

Naturally, he pulls examples from his own life, but it's helpful to read what he experienced, especially if one didn't grow up with the routine of liturgy - I found it similar to my experiences.

Excellent points on the Holy Spirit, the concrete-ness of spirituality, letting the year transform us (rather than become a dull ritual for the sake of ritual), and the importance of history. There are also excellent resources and ideas for liturgists, too!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way we often view time in our culture, says Webber, is that it is always running out, always linear, never enough, but for the Christian, it can be a rhythm of remembrance of the great events of salvation. Even more than that, we can live these events, become joined with the Christ of these events, and so have our spirituality formed by his Spirit.

For a Protestant who had never really celebrated anything besides Christmas and Easter, this was enlightening and even devotional. I have become excited by it and am looking forward to celebrating the Christian calendar this year.

A good summary, from Webber himself:

"Advent is a time to wait.
Christmas is a time to rejoice.
Epiphany is a time to witness.
Lent is a time for repentance and renewal.
The Great Triduum is a time to enter death.
Easter is a time to express the resurrected life.
After Pentecost is a time to study and evangelize."

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to the Christian year, i.e. Advent-Christmas-Epiphany to Lent-Easter-Pentecost.

It gives really clear understandings of the meanings and purposes of each celebration, along with a spiritual goal for each. It's unlocked this mystery for me, an evangelical who didn't grow up with much connection to church tradition.

Observing the Christian year has opened up a new, fresh way for me to connect to God by worshiping him with my whole life, even my calendar.

Solid, evangelical, yet appreciating all church traditions, and especially centered in the traditions of the early church -- when there was just one tradition......

I'd recommend this book to any Christian who feels that their spiritual life needs a rebirth, and to anyone who feels lost in how to appropriate spiritual disciplines in a concrete way.

[Sharolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm about a 1/4 of a way through this and just loving it! Perhaps it is because this stuff has interested me for some time, but it really is the best thing I have read on the topic. Webber is so informative in his approach, so while this is a reference book of sorts, I feel like I am being ministered to, through all I am learning. It begins with an excellent explanation of the value of the Christian Year in helping us live in to the life and pattern of Christ, through His incarnation, missional life, death, resurrection and so on. He goes on to explain each of the Church or Christian liturgical season in more detail. I am only just finished the Advent section and there is so much goodness I want to share and put in to practice.

[Chris Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the concept of incorporating the Christian Year (Church Calendar) into both individual and communal and ecclesial spirituality. This book makes the argument that time should not be taken lightly. "Is time in your life a constraint or a rhythm" asks Webber in his Epilogue. The challenge remains for us as Christians to use time to daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly remind us and even teach us to participate in the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ in preparation for the second coming of our King. This is a really easy-going read that can be consumed at whatever pace the reader chooses.

[Byron Fike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This detailed description of the liturgical year was perfect for an evangelical like me. Webber organized his material in a way that makes sense for one seeking to use the Christian calendar in a non-liturgical church. Each chapter ends with a table explaining what has just been discussed using the section headings: Theme and Spiritual Emphasis. I will be using this book in 2015/2016 to guide my church through the various seasons as we seek to discover God's rhythm for our lives.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book details the focus and power built into the liturgical calendar of the church. Webber gives many thought-provoking suggestions on how we might best posture ourselves during each season. I found the book to be accessible and helpful.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for planning worship activities through the year

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also a big part of my journey

[Emily Tsesmeloglou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the church calendar.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to the Christian year.

[Jt]

Webber!

[Joshua Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Challenges my presuppositions which is helpful. Very thoughtful. Gets a little dry.