Ready for the Coming

Tomorrow is the start of Advent, the four-week long season of watchful expectation leading us to Christmas. Since the earliest days of the church, Christians prepared themselves for the Festival of the Nativity through intentional self-examination, reflection and prayer. That time of preparation helped them celebrate and experience more deeply the gift of Christ to the world.

Because the truth is that in Advent we are not preparing for Christmas; we are preparing for Christ. In the gospel lesson you'll hear tomorrow, you'll hear Jesus describe his eventual return to the world "with power and great glory." Advent actually means "coming" (adventus). At Christmas we remember the gift of our savior to the world many years ago, but in Advent, we remember that that savior is coming again to fully establish his just, loving and peaceful kingdom.

Tomorrow morning we're going to present our pledge cards to God and ask his blessing upon them. It's a great thing to do at the start of Advent, because it is a real, concrete way for us to show that we are ready for Christ's return. Through our generosity to the church and to all the organizations accomplishing God's work in the world, we demonstrate our allegiance to the Lord. We show that we are part of establishing his kingdom on earth as in heaven.

I hope you'll come tomorrow help us light the first candle on the Advent wreath.  I hope you'll come and listen to Cindy Clancy tell her story of generosity, and the way God's presence has been made all the more real through giving to others. I hope you'll offer your pledge card to receive God's blessing. But most of all, I hope you'll open your heart to the advent of Christ into the world.