Advent Waiting
Photo Credit: Max Beck on Unsplash
What Kind of Advent Waiting?
Advent is a season of waiting. We all know that. Sometimes we slowly move the figures in our nativity scenes closer to the manger in the inn as the days move forward to Christmas. (And the Magi don’t arrive until 12 days after Christmas!) It’s a lovely thing to imagine waiting for the birth of Jesus. After all, folks for generations before his birth were waiting for the Child of Humanity, the Messiah. “For unto us a child is born,” said Isaiah. And Mary and Joseph were certainly waiting for the birth of their child as all parents-to-be eagerly wait to meet the one they have been anticipating.
God Is on the Move
But what does it mean to be waiting for Jesus on this side of history? What are we waiting for as we light the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love? Are we waiting for Jesus to be born anew in our hearts? That’s a beautiful Advent perspective. Our theme this Advent/Christmas season is The Gift of Being Present - being intentional about seeing signs of hope and works of peace in our midst. (Joy and love too but I haven’t written those sermons yet!) Our time together in worship will be encouraging all of us to pause, look around, and see God on the move.
Because make no mistake, God is… On… The… Move.
But I think there is another kind of Advent waiting. In this season, we are also aware that we are waiting for God’s preferred future. In an article in Reformed Worship, Cornelius Plantinga says this:
The Hebrew prophets imagined the new heaven and earth with their visions of shalom – of God, humans, and all creation webbed together in justice, fulfillment, and delight. They pictured this rich state of affairs in very earthly terms. A man who builds a vineyard will get to harvest his own grapes without somebody else ripping him off. Children and lions will romp together. Nobody will have to lock their doors or sleep with a weapon on their lap. All this happens under the arch of God’s love, and the knowledge of God fills the earth (Isaiah 2:4; 11:6, 9; 32:15; 65:19-22; Joel 3:18).
Knowing our own world, we can easily update the prophets’ vision. Imagine Palestinians and Israelis dwelling together in peace and mutual respect. Imagine no more school shootings. No more battered wives. No more cancer. No more shattered hopes or bitter disappointments. Husbands who stick with their families. Public figures who stick with the truth. Scrupulously fair elections. Love for God. Love for Neighbor. Love for the good creation.
Although civilization and culture are much, much different, in many ways the world today is not so different than the world described by the prophets. This sure has been a long wait for this vision of shalom to be realized. But my faith in God on the move is faith that God’s preferred future is now and still yet to be. My faith is that my hope will one day be realized. And until then I will make peace, live joyfully, and offer love for we work in the same direction as we hope.
So my friends, what kind of Advent waiting are you doing this year?
Praying For You
Pastor Leanne
Community Presbyterian Church
32202 Del Obispo
San Juan Capistrano. CA 92675
949-493-1502