Advent 1

An Introduction to Advent

For hundreds of years the Christian church has kept time in a different way from most of the world.  It marks time in years, but the Christian year does not start on January 1.  It begins with a season we call “Advent” on the fourth Sunday before Christmas (in late November or early December, depending on the year).

During that year the Christian church tells its ancient faith story all over again.  During the time leading up to Christmas, Advent looks simultaneously at both the beginning of the story -- Jesus' birth in the manger in Bethlehem -- and at the end of the story -- Jesus' future return at the end of time.  The link is that Advent is a time of preparation for Jesus' coming into the world. 

Many Christians use the season of Advent as a time for spiritual growth through prayer, fasting, and penitence to make their hearts ready for the celebration of that special time when God arrived in the flesh as an infant to teach us the incredible depth and breadth of God’s love for all people; the same Jesus who will come again at the end of time.

Preparation

Please begin by reading I Thessalonians 3:9-13 in your Bible.  If you do not have one at hand, we have provided that text for you at the end of this reflection.

Reflection--Distant Judgment and Nearby Grace

The time of preparation that we call Advent is a season when Christians look at the sweep of time through the lens of faith in Jesus.  Together, we look back at the first coming of Jesus, look at the way Jesus blesses us in the here-and-now, and look forward to his future return to put things right in a troubled world and to gather up his own to be with him always. 

    Advent Scriptures fit this season of preparation.  Our reading from I Thessalonians deals with what it means to live in the here and now knowing that Jesus has come and will come again.  More particularly, it speaks of what it means to live as part of a Christian community of faith.

    Paul’s letter was written to the people of a new church in the Greek city of Thessaloníki.  He’d had a report that they were holding on to their love and faith despite terrible persecution.  He expressed the joy he felt because of this Christian community.  He prayed earnestly that it might continue to grow in its love for its own people and for others, and he prayed that God might continue to strengthen its people so that they would be ready and “blameless” when Jesus comes at a future time.

This passage from Paul’s letter is a good antidote for our anxiety about the future.  Things may certainly look bad at any particular moment, but we need to be aware that God is still in charge of the unfolding of time, and that Jesus’ first appearance on earth will not be his last.  Even when things are difficult in the present, we can have hope because of God’s grace and love for now and in the future.

    Paul reminds us that one of the ways God is most evident is in the Christian community all around us.  God can, and does, make our lives together work!  We can not only make it through together, we can make it through with hope, and even with joy, because God is in us and among us.  If God can do that in the middle of our amazing diversity (and some might even shyly mention our occasional bad tempers), why should we think that God will not also be there for us tomorrow?  If we continue growing in God’s love together, tomorrow will take care of itself.

    Things that help us grow together in love are from God.  Things that try to separate us are not from God, even though some falsely invoke God’s name as an excuse for their divisive actions.  May our own earnest prayer for this Advent season be that God continue to help us “increase and abound in love for one another and for all.”  What a Christmas gift to look forward to!

revclay

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Thessalonians 3:9-13

    How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?  Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. 

Now may our God and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.  And may the Lord Jesus make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.  And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.