Advent…the New Year?

So, here we are in this second week of the new year.  That’s right the new year.  I know for some (mostly pagans:)) the new year doesn’t start till January 1, but for the Christian community our new year begins the first Sunday of Advent.   When we talk about the “advent” of something, we’re usually referring to its beginning or coming into being.

That definition is a good place to start. For Advent, is, indeed, a beginning. It’s the beginning of the Christian story, the birth of Christ. The season of Advent anticipates this birth for four weeks leading up to Christmas, through a variety of readings, prayers and other observances (depending on the tradition).

But perhaps an even greater reality lies just beneath the surface. In many churches the first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical calendar—the church calendar that divides the year into celebrations of the many qualities of God. The church calendar reminds us we are in a story greater than ourselves; it pulls us out of the daily minutiae of life and trying to make it to the next day (or, in most cases, the weekend) and lets us know that we are, in fact, living in God’s reality, not our own.

Advent also has its roots in the Greek word parousia, a term used in the Bible to refer to the Second Coming of Christ. This is one of the other ways the idea of Advent is deeper than might be expected. In many traditions, Advent serves a dual purpose—to commemorate the birth of Christ, but also to anticipate the Second Coming of Jesus. Each Sunday in Advent centers around this tension. The Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, will be born into humble circumstances … and we simultaneously look forward to His final return to usher in His Kingdom.

All that anticipation is another reminder of what Advent brings: it reminds us of waiting on God. When Christ was born in the most humble of surroundings, He came to a culture centered around the idea of waiting for a Messiah—even those who weren’t explicitly waiting had just forgotten how (especially those in political or religious authority who found the absence of a Messiah profitable). He came to a place so eager to find a deliverer that they believed they’d found one every few years.

And now, we wait again—we wait for the return of Christ. Whatever you believe Christ’s return will look like, the fact remains that He will, indeed, return one day. He’s the firstborn among the resurrected, and we wait for His return as we wait for the resurrection of the dead. We wait to be reunited with those who have joined Jesus in His eternal kingdom already. And we wait for the injustice and oppression we see around us and the groaning of all creation to finally be answered. Waiting on God is a Christian activity, and Advent reminds us of what we wait for.

Remember that this season is the beginning of a new Christian year—a timeline that encourages the exploration of the person of God. Realize you live in God’s timing and that waiting on Him is an act of trusting worship. And remember Advent points to the One who is to come. In the midst of the busyness of the season with family, presents, Santa, Charlie Brown, Bing Crosby, ornaments and that creepy manger scene your grandparents have kept since 1951, remember this season shows you God’s love. He sent His Son once to die for all—and He’s sending Him again to bring His Kingdom to Earth.

So all the hope, peace, joy and love be to you this Advent Season!

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