Welcome to Advent

Dear friends (and those who may have stumbled upon this blog),

If you've joined me for any of the past sixteen years (wow!), then you are probably familiar with Advent. If you are a new reader, this will serve as an introduction:

In latin the word "adventus" means "coming." Within the context of western Christianity, Advent is the season of four weeks leading up to Christmas—the celebration of Christ's birth. It is a time of joyful expectation and preparation. The four weeks are marked by the four Sundays, on which the candles of the Advent wreath are lit.

The first candle is traditionally the candle of Hope, ushering us into the season with hopeful expectation and wonder. However, with so many church traditions comes a variety of names for each candle. Usually, they are organized around characters or themes as a way to unfold the story and direct attention to the celebrations and worship in the season. So, the sequence might be Prophets, Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angels; Expectation, Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment; or Prophets, John the Baptist, Mary, the Magi.

Last year, I tried something new and used the broad theme of “all things new” to direct my reflections, breaking the four weeks into micro themes centering around courage, refinement, intersections, and curiosity. This year I’m going back to the basics. My Advent guides will be the traditional names of the Advent candles: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

For four short weeks every year, we stop and see—with amazing clarity—God’s miraculous hand shaping the trajectory of human history. I have a hard time seeing this kind of perspective in daily life. Even with God’s sustaining grace, I am so often numb to the repercussions of Christ’s advent in my own life. This blog is an attempt to peel back the layers of those truths and meditate on the everlasting love God showed when he first sent us His son. 

And as we do that together, may our hearts be directed towards the greater Advent still to come. For we know this to be true: the infant Jesus we celebrate at Christmas has promised He will one day return. On earth again, we will see His fully divine power and might. 

So let us enter this season with expectation, ever blessed by those who have paved the way. I’m glad you have chosen to join me on the journey!