Thankfully Waiting
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
THE LONG TAKE: Thankfully Waiting
I do know some of you may not follow the liturgical calendar, but I would offer that even those who are not familiar with it may still benefit from its occasional use, namely Advent / Christmas and Lent / Easter.
Here is the reason: much of our culture is established in the here and now and we get our satisfaction in the moment. John Stonestreet talks about how momentary satisfaction is a form of idolatry known as a materialism of experience (please read this article-it is worth your time). We seek to cultivate the perfect moment and then Instagram-it to death, comparing our experience (in which we see all of its flaws) with others (in which we see all of its fun) in our timeline. Although we seek satisfaction in the temporary, we never obtain it, thus leading to a life that is filled with stuff and Snapchats and Stories but ultimately devoid of lasting value. Thus, the incessant urge to swipe left…
So what is the solution? Cultivating a life that has learned to wait. The celebration of Advent (and Lent) allows us, as Christians, to spend more time in the waiting rather than the event, which is a model of the Christian life as we wait for our Redeemer to come again. It is easy to miss Christ when the Christmas season is all about decorations and presents (to say nothing of Hallmark movies…spoiler alert: they end up together) with a simple reciting of Luke 2 before tearing open the presents. But if the Christmas season is marked by a long focus on the waiting to celebrate our Savior, we join in with the Old Testament saints in their waiting for their Messiah to come and with the New Testament saints and church in their waiting for their King to return to call His bride home. Christmas, then, is not about our gifts but a celebration of the incarnation of the Son of God in the great metanarrative of God’s redemptive plan of humanity. Advent connects us to that story in a way that our modern Christmas celebration cannot do.
So I want to share a brief rundown of Advent that you may start this Sunday, November 29 (the first Sunday of Advent). There are Advent wreaths and candles that help provide a visual reminder throughout the week that are available on Amazon. But don’t wait until you get candles and wreathes to celebrate!
- First Sunday of Advent (Nov 29): Hope Candle or Prophet’s Candle – Focus on the prophets of the Old Testament and their hope in the arrival of Messiah. Read Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 122. Hymn: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
- Second Sunday of Advent (Dec 6): Faith Candle or Bethlehem’s Candle – Focus on Bethlehem as the birthplace of the awaited King of the line of David. Read Isaiah 40:3-5, Luke 1:26-38. Hymn: O come, o come Emanuel
- Third Sunday of Advent (Dec 13): Joy Candle or Shepherd’s Candle – Focus on the joy in the angels’ announcement of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. In the liturgical color system, the color “rose” is connected to joy. If you purchase an advent candle set, you will find a rose colored candle. That candle is lit during this week. Read Luke 2:8-14, Matthew 2:10-11, Isaiah 35:1-10. Hymn: Joy to the Word
- Fourth Sunday of Advent (Dec 20): Peace Candle or Angel’s Candle – The announcement of the angels is an announcement of peace which is only possible through the restoration of God’s people to a righteous standing before God. Read John 3:16-19, Psalm 24:1-10. Hymn: Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
- Christmas Day: Light a white candle (The Christ Candle) – Focus on the purity of the life of Christ and the purity / light He brings to His people. Read Luke 2:1-40 Hymn: O, Come All Ye Faithful
This is a simple manner in which your family can celebrate the hope of the arrival of the promised Savior. From my family to yours….
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
My boys are getting to the age where they want to be outdoors more than indoors. As such, we took advantage of our time at our family's lakehouse to introduce them to fishing. My oldest son fell in love with it and spent several hours on the dock casting lines endlessly. While he did not catch anything (more due to faulty equipment than anything else), he loved every second. I enjoyed watching him enjoy his time in God's creation:
And a required sunset shot from one of my favorite places on Earth:
MY CURRENT INTAKE
- What I'm Reading for Fun: I'm currently in a love-hate relationship with War and Peace. There are approximately 5,783 main characters. And they all have about 3 different names they go by. And it's a long book. Outside of that, I really like it.
- What I'm Listening To: Music from Rabbit Room artists are moving up in my Spotify rotation. Also getting ready for the livestream of Behold the Lamb of God, one of the best concerts I've been to. This may be the best $15 you will spend this Christmas season.
- What I'm Reading For Betterment: My Colson Fellows program has us in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship. This has been a challenging read to see how much cheap grace invades and infects my life. But it is also an encouraging read to see the beauty and joy of a life lived fully in the costly grace of God.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Mitch Evans, Ed.D