During Advent, we prepare for, and anticipate, the coming of Christ. We remember the longing of Jews for a Messiah and our own longing for, and need of, forgiveness, salvation and a new beginning. Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward anticipating the second coming of Christ as the fulfillment of all that was promised by his first coming. The season of Advent, which comes comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” or “visit, begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Although we are accustomed to celebrating Christmas on a single day, in both Christian tradition and on the Church calendar, the Christmas season lasts for the twelve days from December 25–January 6. As Taylor Burton-Edwards notes, the Christmas Season begins with the birth of Jesus and gives us two full weeks to encounter the extraordinary love, threats, dangers and opportunities Gods Incarnation [in the birth of Jesus] set off then and still sets off today. God entered our world, not as a conqueror but an infant, demonstrating the depth of Gods love — and a radical vision of peace and love — for all creation. May your hearts be filled with expectant preparation, anticipatory hope, and joyful gratitude this season! Text from umc.org
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 13:59:18 +0000
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