Advent and a new church year is upon us. It’s always hard to believe for me that it rolls around so quickly.
Over our years together, I’ve told you how much I love Advent, because a year starts, but also I’m kind of disappointed when it comes that we don’t often celebrate it in a way I believe it was designed. I don’t believe it’s a mini-Lent. It’s not designed to be penitential like Lent is. Instead, Advent is designed to be a time of waiting, of anticipation, of patience. It is four weeks designed to prepare a way for Jesus to come to us as a church, but perhaps even more importantly, for Jesus to come into our hearts.
One thing I often think of Advent is this, or might be called the yearly recharge. We come out of that long six months of Ordinary Time and enter into the yearly walk with and along the path Jesus followed on this earth.
Over the years, I’ve told you that I use Advent for that preparation and that I even prepare for Advent by getting my Christmas shopping over before Advent begins and everything else as well. I don’t send Christmas cards ’cause it’s not Christmas yet. More on that later. I also have a discipline of not celebrating Christmas until we’re actually there and truly trying to honor and celebrate Advent.
So one last time I invite you to do exactly that. Really follow Advent, make it a time of silence, of waiting, of anticipating, of preparation so that Christmas will be even grander, even more joyous.
So have a blessed Advent, everyone.
