From Pastor Lee
January 7, 2024
The Season of Advent is Upon Us
The season of Advent is here already and as fast as time may seem to fly by for many of us, it is still a time of waiting. In fact, it seems we spend a great deal of time waiting whether it is in traffic or a line at the store (if you still do your Christmas shopping by going to a store). There are other times when we find it even more difficult to wait, such as when waiting for test results from a biopsy or waiting to hear from a loved one who may be far away in another state or out of the country. We could go on and on listing all the times we must wait.
Though waiting at best can be boring or annoying, it is a part of life. I think of the stories of some of the people in the Old Testament such as Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Noah who were given a promise from God but had to wait. These are just a few off the top of my head, but I’m sure there are many others we can read about in the Bible who had to wait.
So here, we find ourselves, waiting too. But what or who are we waiting for? We might say we are waiting for Christmas, but is it really Christ we are waiting for, or could it really be the days before, during and after Christmas in which we attend or host parties or families with all that goes along with those things? There is nothing wrong with being with family and friends to celebrate. That is how it should be. Yet, for some this may not be the case. There are some who have very little to look forward to and are not waiting in the same way you and I may be waiting. They may be waiting for the seasons of Advent and Christmas to end because it only reminds them of their loneliness and what they have lost.
Jesus says, “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking and if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me.” (Revelation 3:20) Are we looking for Christ in the face of those we encounter each day? As long as there are people around us, Christ is there and will be walking among us. Do we close or open the door to others who we may not even know? This period of waiting we call Advent is not just the four weeks before Christmas Day, it is our whole life. So how do we spend our time waiting? How will you? I pray that your and my Christmas will be Christ filled as we sling wide open the door to welcome him again and again. In the rushing and waiting may we not lose our focus on seeing and welcoming the Christ Child once again. May you all have a Merry Christmas.
Love, Pastor Lee
