{"id":1108,"date":"2013-12-17T22:10:35","date_gmt":"2013-12-18T02:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billykangas\/?p=1108"},"modified":"2013-12-18T00:05:51","modified_gmt":"2013-12-18T04:05:51","slug":"an-open-letter-to-radio-stations-in-december","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billykangas\/2013\/12\/an-open-letter-to-radio-stations-in-december.html","title":{"rendered":"An open letter to Radio Stations in December"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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An open letter to Radio Stations in December,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Enough is enough. As you are aware the Christian Church is currently preparing for the celebration of our annual commemoration of the Incarnation of God, in the person of Jesus Christ. This feast is commonly known as Christmas. As part of our preparation we are encouraged to join in a penitential guard of expectation known as Advent. In Advent we anamnetically join with the people of God who awaited the advent of the Christ in the Old Testament and join in the cry of \u201cmaranatha\u201d raised by the Church throughout the ages as they turn their hope toward the eschatological fulfillment of the Kingdom of God initiated in the paschal mystery of Christ.<\/p>\n

All of this has become very difficult, however, as you have polluted our airwaves with anthems of consumer driven winter choruses, 24 hours a day. There are few refrains as well calculated to shake me from my vigilant hope for a participatory incorporation into the perichoresis of God, as \u201cBaby it\u2019s cold outside.\u201d Similarly songs like \u201cSanta Baby\u201d and \u201cI want a hippopotamus for Christmas\u201d seem to be deliberately orchestrated formulations with the sole aim of shaking the Church\u2019s hope in the eminent perousia of the Christ.<\/p>\n

I know you are probably unaware of your complicit participation in this degradation of Advent, sometimes called little Lent. So I write this to offer a number of alternative broadcast selections.<\/p>\n

OPTION 1: PLAY ADVENT MUSIC<\/strong>
\nThis would be my preferred option. There are a great number of tunes that reflect the penitential expectation of the season. Most famously one could start each hour off with \u201cOh come oh come Immanuel\u201d and then move into any number of other songs. Try \u201clet all mortal flesh keep silent\u201d sometime or perhaps the \u201cCarol of the Advent.\u201d If you really want to spice things up I highly recommend the Byzantine chant. I find that \u201cCanticle nine\u201d and the \u201cSong of St. Symeon\u201d do a great job of getting me into the spirit of the holiday season.<\/p>\n

Take Exhibit A as an example of what I\u2019m talking about:<\/p>\n