Advent Awakening

“. . . when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” Ps 17.15      

We are less than a week to Christmas day! This week the pink candle joins the two purple candles. Why a new color? Why break the uniformity of the purple theme? There is a good reason! The pink candle calls us to “rejoice” as we look forward to celebrating both the first coming and as we look forward to the second coming of Christ. You may recall the words from Handel’s “Messiah”, borrowing from Scripture, they boom out, “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see Him.” Do you long for His appearing as those at His first appearing and now as we await His second appearing? Surely, it will be a mighty, awesome and terrifying day!

To behold the Lord is our great goal of life. On this side of glory, glimpses of this reality are evidences of what we term “awakenings” or “revivals”. To be “awakened” means to be arrested and alerted to a deeper appreciation of the truth, goodness and beauty of God. But the most attractive and endearing realization is that this awakening is an encounter with infinite Love. So we can say that at the birth of Christ, Mary and Joseph, lived in a home of perpetual revival! God come to dwell with His people. If architecture is frozen music, the baby Jesus was infinite love in solid form – God incarnate. He is Immanuel, the eternal Son of God manifest in time and space and as we await Christmas day we humble ourselves and also rejoice in the mighty mystery of God and His plan of salvation.

As you prepare for Christmas I would suggest that, just as the pink candle breaks out from the norm, you ask the Lord to break in to your usual routine and awaken you to a deeper experiential knowledge of His great love for you. All of us are looking for love and God wants us to know how much we are loved by Him. Maybe, like me, you might ask Him to ignite your soul with His love so that our communities will be brightened and illuminated even more by Christ’s presence in us in 2013.

Open Heart, Open Home

 “. . . and took Mary home as his wife.” Matt 1.24 

“If Jesus came to my house and knocked upon the door, I’m sure I’d be more happy than I’ve ever been before”. These are the opening words to my wife’s treasured children’s book entitled, “If Jesus Came to My House” by Joan Gale Thomas (today's colored image imitates Thomas' illustration from the 1951 publication of her book). King Jesus condescended when He placed himself in the care of two simple folk; Mary and Joseph. Though a King, He was not raised in a palace by royalty. God humbled Himself when He came in person to our world. Just think if Joseph had declined when asked to take Mary as his wife. In that culture she risked being stoned for being pregnant out of wedlock. With some heavenly coaching, Joseph opened the door and welcomed her into his home. This Christmas, we all have the opportunity to again welcome our Lord and King into our home.

The Jews had great expectations for their coming Messiah. He was to be their ruling King who would set things straight again and restore the Kingdom. But God would confound their wisdom. The Messiah came and was born in a very ordinary setting to a poor family. He was not trained up to be a famous military leader. God showed us that very often He is most present when He is most hidden! We often go looking for the credentials of worldly greatness and He shows us the path to greatness is a descending one. In His Kingdom we must descend to greatness.

Jesus has come and He will come again but this Christmas our personal challenge is to welcome Him into our hearts. Every Christmas is an invitation for us to say “yes” to Christ and to renew our love for Him. Will you not tell Him He is most welcome in your home and your heart? Embrace the Savior of the world, thank Him for the holy family that accepted the greatest invitation to express hospitality. Notice that so very often it is in the simple things and simple acts of life that He is so very present – His great love embracing us even in the unseen places of daily life.

ADVENTageous

 “Do not be afraid.” Luke1:13,30    

Advent means “coming”. Many of us are probably familiar with the fact that, beginning last Sunday, we are now in a four week period that prepares us to welcome the birth of Christ on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hundreds of thousands of Christians all over the world observe this season of Advent and mark it as the beginning of the new Church calendar year.

 

Sometimes God speaks a word to us that is too wonderful, too marvelous, too unbelievable for us to take in. In the first century the mighty angel, Gabriel, visited the Middle East to bring wondrous and marvelous news of God’s intentions for mankind. Side by side, early in the gospel of St. Luke, is the account of the angel’s visit to two surprised individuals foretelling births of a most unusual kind - John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zechariah, a priest, suddenly encounters the angel of the Lord, Gabriel, as he undergoes his priestly duties in the temple but sadly he questions the plan and wants more information and thus displays his unbelief. Now in contrast, the young maiden, Mary, hears the most astounding plans that God purposes and her response is belief. She may not have completely understood how everything would take place but she trusted God and said “yes”.  What strikes me in these two accounts is the challenge to say “yes” to God as He reveals His good purposes for us even in the face of news that seems too wonderful and incredible for us to believe.
 

Two responses and if anyone might believe the news we would have guessed it would be the mature, spiritual Zechariah. Yet, it is Mary who beautifully responds, “I am the Lord’s servant or handmaid, may it be to me as you have said”. Today we praise God for her obedience and marvel at God’s sovereign work in her life. Observing Advent, year after year, is a powerful way of not only preparing God’s people to meaningfully celebrate Christ’s first coming, the holy festival of Christmas, but it points us to Christ’s second coming as a way of renewing our anticipation of that splendid day.