Anticipating Advent
Advent is an interesting and invigorating time of year. It requires an openness to respond to new realities that God is bringing into being. Scripture can transform our understanding of God and our appreciation for Christ. Advent is a time for spiritual growth.
In Isaiah 2:1-5 we read about a vision for peace:
“They shall beat their swords into ploughshares… nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Did you know these words are carved into the wall of the United Nations building in New York? Perhaps our culture needs to revisit these words with a determined vision for peace.
In Romans 13:11-14 we are invited to make a personal decision:
“Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light… put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The writer seems to try and heighten our awareness about behaviours that waste time and injure our bodies and minds. Could it be summarized this way: “Stop saying and doing things that hurt your body and/or soul, including extreme self-indulgence.” Do you see signs of that all around you today?
Perhaps the invitation during Advent is to focus on your Christian faith instead of self-indulgences. This may not be easy, but it is certainly healthy for both the body and the soul.
Matthew 24:36-44 tells us that:
“They were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the ark…”
Jesus is using the story of Noah and the ark to make an important point. He is inviting us to explore the significance of our priorities. We are called to consider the criticism of lifestyles that only ensure that we meet our physical, material, and relational needs when there is so much more!
It is important during this Advent season to ask questions about the meaning of our lives. Why am I here? What am I called to do? How can I add value to others?
Perhaps this is an invitation to decide: this is what I believe, this is who I am, and this is how I will relate to family, friends, and our Lord.
Sometimes we meet inspirational people who share a message of new beginnings. Matthew 3:1-12 talks about John the Baptist and his message of a time when a future leader will confront society and place them under judgement. John encourages people to both listen and then take personal action.
John warned of a new and demanding future that was on the horizon. Is it possible that we need to hear that message today in our own lives?
When John invited people to the river, it was to act out of their personal commitment to change within themselves and, therefore, in their society. In their act of baptism, they were willing to die to what they were, and be born to what God was calling them to be. They were willing to explore becoming a new person and a new community of believers.
When the situations in our lives feel uncertain and sometimes even frightening, leaving us anxious or perplexed, we need to remember Christ walks this journey with us, and He is only a prayer away. This Advent encourages us to recommit to an intentional spiritual dimension to our lives.
If you choose to read Matthew 11:2-11, there is an affirmation of John for his courage, faithfulness, and devotion to Jesus. In John’s final days, he asks himself a question: “Have I used my life in a worthwhile way, or have I wasted it on delusions?”
The disciples came to Jesus to double check that He was who they thought He was:
“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
Jesus’ response was:
“Go and tell John… the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”
The point is to choose to trust and hope in the future rather than be depressed or discouraged about the present. We are invited during this Advent season to live in expectation and hope for tomorrow.
These introductory thoughts and reflections begin our journey through the Advent experience together. Advent is about hope, peace, love, and joy. It is a time of anticipation and a spiritual adventure.
I invite you to join in on every opportunity to gather for worship, retreat, small group ministries, and responding to the needs of others.
May God bless you during the Advent season.
