Advent - Season of Hope

What I like about the season of Advent (Christmas Season) is that it is a season of hope. Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation and of longing. It is a longing for things to be made right again. It is a longing for relationships that have gone sour to be restored. It is the reminder that God loves each of us and sent His Son into our world then and all the more now (by His Spirit) It is a longing for peace in the world, for healing and wholeness in our lives, and in the lives of those who are hurting. Advent is a season of hope that God, however distant He might seem at the moment, would break into our world in new ways like the incarnation. It is the cry of our hearts , amidst the ringing of the Salvation Army bells (which our church has participated in) or the sounds of Christmas songs in the crowded store or mall - it is the cry of our heart for hope. We read scriptures that announce the arrival of the Messiah, the one who will be God Among Us. It’s all focused on how the ages have looked forward to – have hoped for – the coming of Christ, the Incarnation.And what do we really have at all, if not hope?
As I met with a family early this morning that lost a loved one - what did we have? We had hope. Hope she knew the Lord and was in the presence of God. We could have gotten so lost and caught up in the death that we forgot the life - eternal life that is promised to those who believe.
Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (NIV)
No matter what we see we can possess hope. It is Advent - Looking around, I can see all the human-ness of drudgery, expectations, duty, routine, weariness, brokenness, healing, triumph and persistence. We go through these things every day, and we keep coming back for more - even when it’s painful, when we are fairly sure we will be disappointed, again. But life in God is not without hope and the hope of God will not disappoint us! There are times when we feel like giving up, when we just don’t want to try any more, but we must keep on going. And I blame that on hope. Hope is what keeps us going when our marriage is failing, or when we are dealing with the tough stuff with ours kids or when we’re ill or when our aging parents rely on us for daily living, when we just can’t seem to work through and stay on top of our list or deal with our anxiety. Or when financial issues hit us - God gave us hope so we can live. Without it, would life even be bearable? How do people make it without hope in God. For me, this ever-present hope is proof that God is alive in each of us. Some may attribute hope to our instinct for survival, or our desire to achieve or some other internal mechanism but I’ll credit God for hope. And when I see this hope in people, when I feel it in myself, I know I’m seeing God at work and realize it is Advent. Advent is the time that we call upon God to break into the lives of all who are cold and indifferent, a time where we call out to God to speak to us, and a time to expect a fresh out powering of God’s Spirit. It is the season where we anticipate a King who will rule with truth and justice, a time where we look forward to the coming of Christ again. He will return! Worship is our way of living in the season of Advent, to long for a deeper relationship with God.This year, let us look around in wonder at all that God has done. Let us prepare the way of the Lord: in our hearts and in our families and our relationship with others at LFC. Let us see the season of Advent as an opportunity to make space for God in our crowded and busy world. Let Him have room in you and let His life fill you with Hope! And so we wait upon God.Looking, Hoping, Longing,
Pastor Bernie