Blessings to you all as we begin a new church calendar year!
As we all anticipate Christmas and gear up for the birth of Jesus, let us not jump there too quickly. The wisdom of the early Church was that this season of Advent ("arrival") was an essential preparation for receiving the gift of God in Jesus.
And so we wait. And watch. And hope.
Let's do so as we read these texts together this coming week for our time together next Sunday:
Psalm 80:1-7,16-18
Isaiah 64:1-9
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
My prayer for us: Father God, give us undivided hearts as we wait and watch and long for your coming into our world, our community, and our lives. Do not delay, Lord. We are in need of You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
The Isaiah text says God is a potter and we are the clay. Waiting for Jesus' arrival, for me, is also waiting for him to be more fully formed in my clay. I wish the Potter was quicker!