Advent, which means coming, is an old observance in the
Christian year, or better said the Church’s liturgical calendar. It is set in
the midst of shorting days and in the northern hemisphere a colder season. This
might seem to be an odd place to place the beginning of a new year but in many ways,
it seems to me to make perfect sense.
Advent with its’ wreathe and candle lighting and weekly
readings as each candle is lit in its’ turn point us to some hope and promise
all due to the coming of our Lord. Just as our Lord’s Advent was in a season of
bleakness in the history of life upon the Earth so is Advent. St. Paul strong suggest
that the end of history which so many are anticipating has already occurred in
the advent of Jesus. It is as if the end of history has come into our midst
even before it becomes reality for humanity.
Jesus has entered into our history and with his advent he has
done for us what we could never have done for ourselves. This should give us
great encouragement and hope, love, joy and peace as we make our way through
this life.
We do not have to always to turn our eyes to the heavens
during difficult times and say Longingly “maybe to day he will come and set things,
right?”, the truth is Jesus is come and has through himself set things rights in
spite of the contradiction of circumstance which are all around us. He is come.
Consider the reading which are read and the Scriptures which
are preached and expounded upon and what do they say to us. What is the Holy Spirit
saying to us all regarding the coming of Jesus.
Each church or fellowship may have their own traditions regarding
Advent but the basic message is in the end the same. Jesus has, is and will
come and it is really not possible to separate each of his comings they are all
when understood just one coming to us all and that coming is experienced in our
live and in history, they cannot be removed one from the other, they are one
coming. It is who are in the flow of history but in eternity they are One.
Consider the candles:
The Second Purple is for Love
The Third Rose candle is for Joy
The Fourth Purple is for Peace
And, if there is a White candle set in their midst of the
Advent wreath it is for the Life of Christ who has come to us and is the reason
for the others.
This year look ahead and anticipate good and blessings even
when the circumstance in life seem to contradictory all because Jesus is Come.
Have a Blessed Advent Season, Jesus is Come.
Benediction: My we each and all give
glory to our Lord Jesus Christ because he has come to us, today, tomorrow and
forever more. Amen.
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Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
Topinabee Community Church
Topinabee Michigan
https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html
You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book
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