Last week I talked a little about what it means to go through this cycle called the Church Calendar. This week, which is the final Sunday of the Church Year, I’d like to prepare you for why it’s important to expect.
The Advent Season, which starts next Sunday, is the beginning of a season of expectation. What does Advent expect? Advent expects or anticipates the coming of Christ. The word “Advent” a refers to “coming or arrival.” And you may say, “Why are we expecting Jesus, when Jesus has already come for us?” One answer to that is that we are still living in light of that first coming. The consequences of Messiah’s coming had and still have repercussions for how we live, and move, and have our being. But also because Jesus does not cease to come. In fact, during the Advent Season we will stress the idea that Jesus comes for us again and again. He comes in our darkness, in our joy, in our repentance, in our confession, in our gathering, in bread and wine, he comes again and again.
As we enter into a season of expectation, we enter into a season of hope and desire to see the Son of Man minister to us by His Spirit and comfort us as we worship joyfully and truthfully.
- Adventus, Latin; arrival (back)
