This past weekend was the first Sunday of Advent, and in light of the upcoming start of the Embracing Hope series (which begins on Dec. 1), I thought I would share an updated post from last year’s Advent series.
(Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash)
This week is the first week of Advent! Some people may associate Advent with the time when the church gets decorated for Christmas, or with lighting of candles, or having people read parts of the Christmas story. The word Advent means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’, and the focus of the season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ, which was his First Advent, but also a growing sense of anticipation for the return of Christ the King which is his Second Advent. While we do not know exactly when the practice of Advent began, it has been traced back to approximately 400 AD, and Advent practices have developed over the centuries. Historically the Church has connected a number of Scripture readings for Advent, to reflect the emphasis on both Christ’s first coming as well as His second coming.
Advent is more than an extended telling of the Bethlehem story. It is intended to remind us again that God’s work of salvation began in Bethlehem and will one day be completed when Jesus returns to the earth. The early church referred to the return of Christ as their ‘glorious hope’ (Titus 2:13) and it should be our great hope as well.
David Bratcher expresses it very well when he says,
“In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live "between the times" and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people.”
It is important to celebrate that Jesus has come, but we can easily see that these are times when it is so important to recognize that Jesus is still with us in our troubled world today by the Holy Spirit, and further, to declare that Jesus will come again.
I am very excited about the start of this year’s edition of the ‘Embracing Hope’ series. Each day, from December 1-24 (excluding Sundays) I will be posting a devotional Scripture reading, along with a written prayer that reflects the theme of the Bible passage. It’s free for everyone who subscribes to ‘The Hidden Reservoir’ and will arrive in your in-box every morning during the season.
My hope for the series is that it will help to build a greater sense of worship and anticipation for the Presence of Jesus in your life.