Advent and Anticipation

Happy Advent!

One of the good things about Advent is that you know the day that the countdown ends. You can ask my children as they beam counting down on their Advent Calendars to the best day of their lives. They long for Christmas, all while having certainty that the day will come and they are giddy about it.


Christmas is an event that is worth the anticipation. To count the days down until Christmas is a good thing and we are blessed to have a Church assist us in that anticipation. No one should argue that Christmas is not worth waiting for.


One of the other things about Advent though, is that it not only prepares us for celebrating the birth of our Lord on December 25 each year, but it also helps us to anticipate our Lord’s second coming.


In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is pretty direct about this when he tells the disciples to “Be watchful! Be Alert!” This is also true for us. We are called to live our lives in anticipation for Jesus coming again and contrary to popular belief, Jesus coming again is a really good thing.


We hear stories and watch movies about the end times. They make us fearful and anxious. The unknown is scary to us and our imaginations can run astray when we think about the end times. Let me tell you, though, that Jesus is not advocating anticipation out of fear, but rather, he is teaching us how to live peacefully as we await Him.


Throughout all of scripture there are themes of anticipation and the peace of when that anticipation is resolved. When the bride finally encounters her bridegroom, it is a moment of celebration. It is no different for us. Advent (whether it is in celebration of the past Incarnation, or the reminder of our current anticipation of our Lord) will always be a season of peace. You cannot separate peace from Advent.


So yes, be watchful and alert. Not out of fear of your lives, but out of joy that you Savior is coming again to be with you. ​

This Advent, let us practice this. Let’s celebrate the fact that we have a God that loves us so much, that He was willing to become man. But let’s also use this Advent to learn to anticipate the glorious and peaceful return of our Lord and Savior.

​
God Bless,



Brett Becker
Youth and Young Adult Minister 

​

---