Avent

What does it mean to wait, and to watch, and to prepare for the coming of our Lord? Does it mean that it is time to push our own agenda? Or does it mean that it is time to take seriously our discipleship?

These are issues that the church struggles with. These are issues that some people struggle with. They are also issues that some just shrug off, pushing their own agendas no matter what. The coming of the Lord is not something they either believe in or take seriously. Live for today, for tomorrow is someone else's problem.

For some, Advent is a tired and worn out effort by the church to delay Christmas and to get people to give money to charity rather than to spend it on gifts. Advent just gets in their way. Some even wish the church would just drop Advent and start singing Christmas carols right after Halloween, just like the stores and radio stations have done this year. Do you ever wonder why our economy is in such trouble when businesses are actively competing with the church for your Christmas dollars?

The church can no more stop celebrating Advent than they can stop celebrating Easter. Christ came, Christ died and was raised from the dead, Christ will come again. How can we take that statement of faith and ignore the part about Christ coming - the first time or the second time?

Together with the all the church and all of the saints, both past and present, we shout, "Come Lord Jesus!"