waiting

As a teenager I went to a Lutheran church. I remember terms like Advent and Lent but I didn’t pay much attention. Over the last few years, I’ve had a renewed interest in the church calendar. I would like you to celebrate the Advent season with me. We will be spending some time over the next four weeks looking more closely at this part of the church year.

As I understand “Advent” I’ve come to see that part of its meaning is “waiting with expectancy”. Now my background is not theology so for those of you who are more knowledgeable, please offer me some grace as I draw some of my own parallels.

Mary was a young girl. She was engaged to be married. Can you even imagine an angel showing up in your bedroom and telling you that you had been chosen to bear the Christ? Not only do you risk the neighbor’s whispers as they speculate behind your back about the circumstances that lead to you finding yourself in the ‘family way’…you risk death…by stoning. You risk your future husband believing that you had slept with someone else. Not only are you thinking you’ll need to convince him that you were not unfaithful but that an angel came to you to tell you God wanted to you to carry His son. It is no ordinary baby you carry. You carry the Son of God. Yeah right. Nowadays, that would be the right formula for a trip to the hospital and some powerful meds to help you with your delusional thoughts. Don’t believe me? Try telling someone you saw an angel and that he said you were pregnant by the Holy Spirit. I’ll come and see you on visiting day.

It’s easy for us to think that this was an ordinary experience back in Biblical times. But…it was just as extraordinary then as it would be now. She was a young girl…just a girl. And yet her response to the angel was remarkable. Scripture says she was confused and fearful. But, after the angel completed his explanation, she said, “I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say”.

She began “waiting with expectancy”. That is what Advent is for us as well. Waiting with expectancy. As we look forward to Christmas and the significance of God come to earth, what are you expecting? What are you looking for?

May you spend some time in the next day or so reflecting on what it is that you are expecting in your relationship with the Holy One? What are wanting? Waiting for?

May your waiting be filled with expectancy. God wants to meet with you in a different way…a more intimate way. Be looking. Be waiting…with expectancy.

Grace and peace,
Deb