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Ready...Set...WAIT!
Wait (wāt) 1. To stay in a place or remain in readiness or in anticipation (until something or for someone to arrive or catch up). 2. To be ready or at hand (dinner was waiting for them). 3. To be, remain, or delay in expectation or anticipation of; await (to wait orders, to wait one’s turn).
Like a line of racers who are poised at their starting blocks, we too are on the brink of another new year at Grace. We get ready! We get set! And we wait!
Wait? Yes, wait! For that’s the main focus of Advent; four weeks of anticipation as we look forward to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of God’s Son. Advent is preparation for Jesus… Immanuel…the Messiah…the Prince of Peace…the child of the manger...the One foretold about by the ancient prophets.
Instead of racing along with the world hectic pace of shopping, sending cards, hosting and attending parties and other holiday events, we enter into a different kind of activity.
The four weeks of Advent are a time to connect us with God’s people who waited 450 years for the promised Messiah—a story that took centuries of trust and belief that God would send someone to rescue them from the bondage of sin and death. Therefore, Advent is a time to reflect upon the faith of God’s people which withstood time, tragedy, doubts, and disappointments to believe that He would act in a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem!
At Grace, we use Advent wreaths with four blue candles to help us keep track of time. The wreaths are tools for prayer, family Bible reading and sharing. Our worship services are more quiet and serene, making prayer a central part of our liturgies. We refrain from singing many of the familiar Christmas carols as a way in which we “hold back” from the rush to Christmas. The color throughout the worship center is royal blue – a color of hope and anticipation.
All of this “waiting” is difficult, challenging, and hard to do, yet I find myself strangely excited. It happens every Advent. I sense a need to slow down, reflect, and consider how I can prepare myself inwardly. Each year I find that I do not want to merely go “through the motions” of another Christmas. Therefore I’m excited to discover again that Advent is an important tool to help me find the meaning of Christmas all over again.
Although December is often a busy time around the church, I find this emphasis on waiting is just what I need as I reflect upon the many years God’s people yearned for the Messiah. When I do this, my impatience and petty annoyances seem insignificant and I build my spiritual muscles of endurance, persistence, and serenity.
This season I invite you to join us to “Get ready, set, and wait” this Advent. Take time to worship with us, slow down, pray, and reflect on how you can prepare for this Christmas.
May the joy and peace that God has made possible through the birth of Jesus in this world be with you and your family!
In Him (and eagerly waiting!),
Mark Hellmann
Senior Pastor