Month: December 2019

Monday of the first week of Advent

“Hey, give me 5 minutes”…
“Take your time.”…”You can have all the time in the world” …”just let me know when you’re ready”… “I’m ready when you are.” Every use any of these phrases? Thinking about it, I think the longest I waited for someone was eight years—but that’s another story.

Advent is all about waiting — the four candles on the Advent wreath have a much deeper significance than marking the weeks until Christmas. The four candles stand in eternal testimony to waiting. The four candles symbolize the four thousand years of salvation history patriarchs judges kings prophets all expectant and marching toward the promised one, the Messiah.

So what are we waiting for? As we light one candle after another we expect and we march toward the messiah. And as We march together let us be like Him. He humbled himself—so must we empty ourselves of our singularity and embrace the community of grace. He forgave — then we must ask for that forgiveness and at the same time “forgive those who trespass against us”. And He was savior. And we must witness His saving presence to a hurting world.

We don’t march alone — the saints of old and of new guide us and illumine our way.

Maranatha Come Lord Jesus!

First Sunday of Advent

Remember back in the day when you would walk into your classroom and you would realize that it was set up for a film strip or movie? Oh the joy…the sweet relief of the modern technology of the 1970’s. It would take up the whole class period and would be a fantastic diversion from the routine.

Inevitably the picture would either be out of focus or need to be focused. And either the teacher or the “trusted” student would twist and turn the lens until it was just right … and if it wasn’t the voices of the class would begin to rumble.

It seems like things haven’t changed much. Our focus should be on the day to day journey from this world to the next…and as we wait, to do so “in joyful hope” for the return of Christ in Glory. But what do we end up doing? We hear the voices of the classroom. We focus on this passing world and all its allure and fading offerings. We look to our status, appearance, the next best thing to get or do. Sometimes it isn’t even that dramatic. Sometimes we float through this life with a selfish disinterest. As long as our needs are taken care of, we can pass by the stranger — if we even recognize them at all.

But it should be different for us who believe.

“So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Matt 24:44

We don’t know the hour…but we do know the reality…the promise that Christ will come again. Then here is the burning question of faith. What is keeping us from acting like it? What is keep us from sharing that joy? Sharing that hope? We live in a world so overexposed to the Google YouTube Twitter-verse that we fail at times to reflect something that is not only different, it is everlasting! Our relationship with God and His to us (pl) is eternal. Whether Christ comes tomorrow during the morning drive or waits another millennia or two matters not. What matters is this eternal divine relationship— and that We are people of that promise.

Let’s share that promise —again.