THEOLOGICAL CLUE

Thirty-five years ago, a liturgical scholar, Edward T. Horn, III, said: "The Fourth and last Sunday in Advent has been an 'orphan' for centuries so far as its true nature is concerned. In contemporary America it is often called 'Christmas Sunday,' an intrusion from nonliturgical Protestantism of Puritan background which, having divorced all religious observances from Christmas, sought to salve its conscience by transferring these observances to the previous Sunday." He concludes: "As a result, in many Protestant churches this Sun-day is preempted by Christmas 'messages,' Christmas decorations and Christmas music, thus losing its own status as the culminating Sunday in the season of anticipation," and then makes something of an understatement, "Even liturgical churches hav…