As our consumerist culture barrels headlong into its pre-Christmas spending frenzy, I’d like to invite you to walk with me through the season we observe in the church as a way of preparing ourselves for Christmas.
This season is called Advent and is the season in which we look for the arrival of Christ. Admittedly, Advent can seem strange and uncomfortable for some, especially those whose expectations for Christ’s arrival extend only as far as a sanitized manger scene. For others, though, it is a welcome jolt with invasive news which prompts them to think about fresh possibilities for deliverance and human wholeness. As we journey into this season, we are taken beyond the birth, and beyond the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, to a new moment of expectancy as the Day of Christ approaches and the reign of God is made fully manifest.
At Advent, we summon the courage and the spiritual strength to remember that the holy breaks into the daily. We are invited, even if in tiny ways, to open our broken hearts to the healing grace of God, who opens the way to peace. Peace is at the heart of the promise of Advent, but it is difficult to arrive there safely and without becoming vulnerable along the way.
Join us, then, on this Advent journey as we open our lives and our souls with active anticipation for the fulfillment of the fullness of God’s promise of peace. Join us to renew your hope.
Pastor Robin
