Eagle's Wings: December 4, 2011

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Published on Thursday, 29 December 2011 16:07

But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.  Therefore,  beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.  - 2 Peter 3:13-15

The season of Advent marks the beginning of the church year and comprises the four weeks before Christmas.  The church has observed a season of preparation before Christmas since the appearance of regulations on fasting issued by Bishop Perpetuus of Tours in 490 C.E.

Well, there you have it; according to the ELCA, Advent still comes before Christmas!  So, despite all the Christmas music, Christmas sales, Christmas parties, Christmas pageants, Christmas caroling, and whatever else we so desperately want to put in front of Christmas, this is still the season of Advent.  It is actually a time when we're supposed to slow down and prepare for what is to come, not speed up and drive ourselves crazy.

After all, the word Advent means, "coming."  Therefore, Advent is the time that we wait and hope and prepare for the coming again of Jesus the Christ for the first time.  Confusing, right?  But that's all the more reason to sit back and reflect upon what Christ in our lives means, especially just before we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, who was crucified, died and was buried...but who lives.

Living in the hope of Christ's coming and Christ's real presence with us now, we adorn the sanctuary with "blue", the color of hope, to remind us that it is with hope (faith) that we continue to anticipation, not only the coming of the Christ child, but the fullness of time that will be Christ's second coming.

So, perhaps among all the noise and confusion that accompanies our journey to Bethlehem, we might somehow hear that Advent is a time for Christians to live in the hopeful expectation of the incarnation of Christ on Christmas.  Not before!

Blessing this Advent Season,

Pastor Mark