Advent, a time of waiting and preparation

Have you picked up your new 2020 calendar? Can you believe it? 2020! Our favorite venders have calendars waiting for us to pick up. In our home we have calendars all over the place - on the kitchen refrigerator, in the car, in the office. Calendars give us useful information. Mostly however, we really like the pictures.

Nevertheless, one calendar on the refrigerator is the "Advent" calendar. Our family tradition is to read the passage of scripture which lies behind a little door for each of the 24 days of Advent. As we move through the calendar, we read a passage on the theme of the Lord's coming. But, this calendar has only 24 days. On the 25th day, we celebrate our anticipation – Christ is born!

The church has a calendar and the "New Year" began last Sunday, Dec. 1. Happy New Year! But that sounds a bit odd. Nevertheless, something wonderful is on the way and the Advent season is our preparation for that event. Because Christmas is such an important commercial event for our economy, it is not too surprising, though a bit disappointing, that the turn toward Christmas begins earlier and earlier. We notice this by the change in the merchandise on the shelves, the displays and then the advertising for the "Holiday season." I understand this from a business perspective because for my mother's bookstore, this was her most important sales season.

However, Christmas is about an event, a promise kept but like all promises, there is a time of waiting and that time of waiting is Advent. And so, we prepare. Advent is the season of preparation.

Think about how you prepare for guests. At our house we are quite focused on being prepared for our guests. The house is cleaned, the menu set and prepared, we are dressed in our best, our teeth brushed and our hair combed waiting in expectation for their arrival. Often looking at the clock. How do we prepare for the coming of the Child, Emmanuel, God with Us?

The four weeks before Christmas, Advent, is that time of preparation. We prepare our hearts through reflection and repentance; through prayer and acts of service, through worship, Bible study and devotion. The spiritual discipline focuses our attention on He who is coming. Oh the joy!

To aid our devotion, we have an advent wreath with four candles, one for each week. Three blue/purple (the color of Advent) and one pink. Each candle is lit for each week. The first candle is hope and is called the Prophecy Candle; the second candle is faith and is called the Bethlehem Candle; the third candle (pink) is joy and is called the Shepherd's Candle and the fourth candle is peace and is called the Angel Candle.

In the midst of all the distractions of the commercial Christmas may we find the peace and joy of Advent as we prepare and wait for Emmanuel.