Humor me for just a moment as I glance back to my years in a more ‘liturgical’ setting, that is, back to the years I served as an Elder in the United Methodist Church. During this time of year, specifically Sunday November 27 through Saturday December 24th, protestant churches have been celebrating a season known as ADVENT. What is it? What’s advent and why should we care? Well, let’s define the term:
- Ad·vent: noun: the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.
The season of Advent, which comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming” or “visit,” begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year for many Christians. [Liturgical — from liturgy, which means the forms and functions of public worship.]
During Advent, believers prepare for, and anticipate, the coming of The Christ! We remember the longing of Jews for a Messiah and our own longing for, and need of, forgiveness, salvation and a new beginning. Say Amen somebody!
Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward anticipating the second coming of The Christ, Our Christ as the fulfillment of all that was promised by his first coming.
We live in a world, consumed with secularism — amongst a people who harbor growing hostility towards The Faith we hold dear. A lot of folk want to take Christ out of Christmas! But we — YOU and I — should dare to REMEMBER! We should dare to remember all that He is…all that He did, and praise Him for all that He is going to do!
As we go about our day to day activities in the next few weeks, we should dare to remember! As we shop and indulge in the commercialization of Christmas…we should DARE TO REMEMBER! As we gather with friends and family in our homes and on our jobs and in the Malls and at the bank…at the barbershop…supermarket…in traffic…we should DARE TO REMEMBER! And for the next few weeks as we assemble in churches across this great nation, YOU and I should know that we have COME TO REMEMBER AND TO CELEBRATE…
- THE ENORMITY OF GOD’S GRACE…
- THE MAGNITUDE OF HIS MERCY….
- THE DEPTH OF HIS LOVE…
- THE GRANDEUR OF HIS GLORY…TOWARDS US and FOR US THROUGH CHRIST!
HALLELUJAH! WE ARE NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOOD NEWS CONCERNING THE CONCEPTION, THE GESTATION, THE BIRTH, THE LIFE, THE MINISTRY and SACRIFICE, THE DEATH, THE BURIAL AND THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPHANT RESURRECTION OF JESUS our CHRIST.
TODAY…and tomorrow…with every breath let’s REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE
JESUS!JESUS, THE BABY IN A MANGER…
JESUS, the Suffering Servant…
JESUS, The Conquering King…
JESUS…HIS ADVENT…the coming, arrival, appearance, emergence, materialization, occurrence, dawn, birth, rise, and development of God with us!
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Sing it again! This time with revelation! And – insert your name where the song writer put the name Israel. Sing it again – and REMEMBER! SING IT AGAIN AND CELEBRATE HIS COMING…then…now…tomorrow…
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive __________,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee,
O ____________.
ADVENT! Even so…COME LORD JESUS!
God loves you and so do I!
Merry CHRISTmas!
Pastor Bernardine Wormley Daniels
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