The First Sunday of Advent: Waiting....
She caught my attention immediately. There they were - the whole Grade 10 Band of the Lord Selkirk Comprehensive High School - playing their piece of music and what was she doing? She seemed to be doing nothing. Was she really just standing there? No, of course not. She was doing much more than that. With cymbals in hand, she was reading her musical score, watching and waiting for the moment in which she would play her part. Then all of a sudden her moment came and there it was.... the crash of the cymbals heard louder than any other instrument.
Last Wednesday evening, as I watched this young woman wait so well... patiently and with anticipation....I thought about the Advent Season approaching and wondered "Can we be like her?" One of the main things we do during Advent is acknowledge that we are waiting. Yes, of course, we hear the children complain that they "can't wait until Christmas" and many of us experience the tiring waiting in line at the shopping mall. But that is not the waiting I am talking about. During Advent, we focus not only on the waiting to celebrate Jesus' Advent and Incarnation, but also acknowledge the waiting that the Church has been doing for so many years as we wait for Christ to come again.
But how do we wait? The Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent was Matthew 24:36-44. In it we are told to "keep watch" and that "you also must be ready" for we don't know the time when the Son of Man will come. So our waiting is not to be passive as I could have mistaken the cymbal player to be. No, she kept watch with her eyes glued to her music so she wouldn't miss the time that she was to play. She also was ready when that time came. But how do we keep watch and be ready for Jesus' second advent?
The idea that I want to pass onto you is pretty simple.... keep reading. Matthew 24:45 says, "Who then is the faithful and wise servant....?" "Am I?" is the question that we ask ourselves this first Sunday of Advent. Matthew 26 tells two parables - one focused on wisdom vs foolishness (the parable of the ten virgins) and the other focused on being faithful or fearful with what the Lord has given (the parable of the talents). Why not take some time this week to read and pray through these parables? Ask God to show you any ways that you are not waiting well - where you are not being wise or faithful - and then ask Him to show you how to wait well. Allow this Advent to not only be about getting ready for Christmas (baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, etc.) but also about becoming ready for the unexpected day when the Son of Man will come.
grace and peace,
Tracy
Last Wednesday evening, as I watched this young woman wait so well... patiently and with anticipation....I thought about the Advent Season approaching and wondered "Can we be like her?" One of the main things we do during Advent is acknowledge that we are waiting. Yes, of course, we hear the children complain that they "can't wait until Christmas" and many of us experience the tiring waiting in line at the shopping mall. But that is not the waiting I am talking about. During Advent, we focus not only on the waiting to celebrate Jesus' Advent and Incarnation, but also acknowledge the waiting that the Church has been doing for so many years as we wait for Christ to come again.
But how do we wait? The Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent was Matthew 24:36-44. In it we are told to "keep watch" and that "you also must be ready" for we don't know the time when the Son of Man will come. So our waiting is not to be passive as I could have mistaken the cymbal player to be. No, she kept watch with her eyes glued to her music so she wouldn't miss the time that she was to play. She also was ready when that time came. But how do we keep watch and be ready for Jesus' second advent?
The idea that I want to pass onto you is pretty simple.... keep reading. Matthew 24:45 says, "Who then is the faithful and wise servant....?" "Am I?" is the question that we ask ourselves this first Sunday of Advent. Matthew 26 tells two parables - one focused on wisdom vs foolishness (the parable of the ten virgins) and the other focused on being faithful or fearful with what the Lord has given (the parable of the talents). Why not take some time this week to read and pray through these parables? Ask God to show you any ways that you are not waiting well - where you are not being wise or faithful - and then ask Him to show you how to wait well. Allow this Advent to not only be about getting ready for Christmas (baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, etc.) but also about becoming ready for the unexpected day when the Son of Man will come.
grace and peace,
Tracy
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