It's the first Sunday of Advent - the beginning of a new church year. What is Advent? Advent is the season of getting ready for Christmas - the time to get ready for Jesus.
Advent is the season of watching and waiting. It is the opposite of our culture's demand for instant gratification. It is the church's way of saying, "Not yet, but very soon." It is a season of waiting in expectation for God's promises to be fulfilled. It is Jesus' way of saying, "Ready or not, here I come!" It is the present reality of a past event that determines our future. It is a wake-up call to remind us that the Messiah who once came is coming again, and is here among us now. It is the time to remember, repent, and be ready.
As we slow down and take the time to allow God's Word to soak in and saturate our lives this Advent season, we will begin to see ourselves as one of the characters in God's great story of salvation. And as we continue to move throughout the seasons of the church year, we begin to find that God's story becomes our story - Jesus' life becomes our life, Jesus' death becomes our death, Jesus' resurrection becomes our resurrection. Have a blessed Advent.
(picture - diane meyer, respublica)
