Advent: God’s mission is the reason for the season
The concept of “advent” for many people has felt centered on opening cardboard calendars with chocolates (that ironically taste like cardboard) as you count down to Christmas.
The calendar at my house growing up had a beautiful nativity scene and my parents were always intentional to remind us that:
“Jesus is the reason for the season”.
For some, Advent has meant symbolic gestures on Sundays in December. For others, Advent is one of the most spiritually intimate times of their year with God.
Over the last few years, the advent season, specifically the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve that are observed in the liturgical church calendar, has become rich with meaning for me and the church I pastor.
The candles, readings, prayers and weekly themes are wonderful.
But there is one main reason why this time has become increasingly sacred:
God’s MISSION is the reason for the season.
“Advent” is derived from the word “adventus” in latin. Which means – “a coming”.
“The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” – 1 John (The Message)
Jesus came into the neighborhood… and is STILL coming into our neighborhoods.
God is going to come in new ways this year in our workplaces.
The Spirit of God is going to come in new ways this season in our families and churches.
God is still coming to us and can “cheer our spirits by thine advent here” to quote the beloved Christmas Carol Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel.
Advent is crucial for life on mission:
1. Advent celebrates God’s action
God’s mission: to move towards humanity.
Jesus birth is God’s most tangible move towards humanity.
When we celebrate this season, we celebrate a God who created us and began to move towards us and hasn’t stopped. Even when we fail to respond by stepping towards a God who has come (Advent) to us.
2. Advent teaches how to be people who long for God’s action.
The only way we can participate in God’s action is to observe God’s action and discern how we can participate with what God is doing around us.
Advent teaches the important spiritual posture of longing.
People looking for God’s Kingdom, which Jesus said is in our midst, must never cease to be people of longing.
Feeling unsatisfied can be unsettling. I agree! But God can bring peace and contentment to our hearts as we continue to long for God to do more and to continue to bring the Kingdom to earth as Jesus will fully bring some day.
As we pray, “may your Kingdom come, may your will be done” – we are saying, “we long for more of You!”
3. Advent urges us to be prepared for God’s action.
A time of waiting and longing presents two options:
Hunker down and preoccupy yourself until the waiting is over.
OR
Actively wait by becoming prepared for what is coming
The second option makes the most sense when it comes to waiting on a powerful God of action.
God didn’t set this world in motion and let humanity know that we could catch God on the flip side.
God is moving and active now!
This means that while we may be waiting for God’s action in certain relationships, in our families, our neighborhoods, our circumstances – that time is not wasted.
Becoming prepared for what God might do in this next season or in this next year is one of the most important purposes for the celebration of Advent.
4. Advent brings our focus towards Emmanuel, “the with us God”
Nothing is more crucial to mission than the reality that God is with us. God is among us.
God has always been with God’s people. But the choice to come (advent) to be with us by becoming one of us is the most outrageous and unprecedented actions God made in being “with us”… by literally becoming Emmanuel, directly translated as “the with us God”.
Participating with an active God is the definition of a life on mission.
God’s mission is the sole purpose for God coming to earth in the form of a baby.
Without Jesus’ mission there would literally be no reason for the season!
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
The concept of “advent” for many people has felt centered on opening cardboard calendars with chocolates (that ironically taste like cardboard) as you count down to Christmas.
The calendar at my house growing up had a beautiful nativity scene and my parents were always intentional to remind us that:
“Jesus is the reason for the season”.
For some, Advent has meant symbolic gestures on Sundays in December. For others, Advent is one of the most spiritually intimate times of their year with God.
Over the last few years, the advent season, specifically the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve that are observed in the liturgical church calendar, has become rich with meaning for me and the church I pastor.
The candles, readings, prayers and weekly themes are wonderful.
But there is one main reason why this time has become increasingly sacred:
God’s MISSION is the reason for the season.
“Advent” is derived from the word “adventus” in latin. Which means – “a coming”.
“The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” – 1 John (The Message)
Jesus came into the neighborhood… and is STILL coming into our neighborhoods.
God is going to come in new ways this year in our workplaces.
The Spirit of God is going to come in new ways this season in our families and churches.
God is still coming to us and can “cheer our spirits by thine advent here” to quote the beloved Christmas Carol Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel.
Advent is crucial for life on mission:
1. Advent celebrates God’s action
God’s mission: to move towards humanity.
Jesus birth is God’s most tangible move towards humanity.
When we celebrate this season, we celebrate a God who created us and began to move towards us and hasn’t stopped. Even when we fail to respond by stepping towards a God who has come (Advent) to us.
2. Advent teaches how to be people who long for God’s action.
The only way we can participate in God’s action is to observe God’s action and discern how we can participate with what God is doing around us.
Advent teaches the important spiritual posture of longing.
People looking for God’s Kingdom, which Jesus said is in our midst, must never cease to be people of longing.
Feeling unsatisfied can be unsettling. I agree! But God can bring peace and contentment to our hearts as we continue to long for God to do more and to continue to bring the Kingdom to earth as Jesus will fully bring some day.
As we pray, “may your Kingdom come, may your will be done” – we are saying, “we long for more of You!”
3. Advent urges us to be prepared for God’s action.
A time of waiting and longing presents two options:
Hunker down and preoccupy yourself until the waiting is over.
OR
Actively wait by becoming prepared for what is coming
The second option makes the most sense when it comes to waiting on a powerful God of action.
God didn’t set this world in motion and let humanity know that we could catch God on the flip side.
God is moving and active now!
This means that while we may be waiting for God’s action in certain relationships, in our families, our neighborhoods, our circumstances – that time is not wasted.
Becoming prepared for what God might do in this next season or in this next year is one of the most important purposes for the celebration of Advent.
4. Advent brings our focus towards Emmanuel, “the with us God”
Nothing is more crucial to mission than the reality that God is with us. God is among us.
God has always been with God’s people. But the choice to come (advent) to be with us by becoming one of us is the most outrageous and unprecedented actions God made in being “with us”… by literally becoming Emmanuel, directly translated as “the with us God”.
Participating with an active God is the definition of a life on mission.
God’s mission is the sole purpose for God coming to earth in the form of a baby.