Prepare

“Prepare the way of the Lord,” says the prophet Isaiah. This quote is from one of the texts we will be
focusing on in worship during the season of Advent. I believe the spirit of expectation in this quote captures the joyous sense of preparation we share in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” The focus of the Advent season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ in his first Advent. And it also points to the promise that God will continue to come to us again and again. Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000-year-old event in history – it is a celebration of the truth about God.

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation. In its double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of each of us as individuals and as a congregation. We affirm the hope once anticipated that Christ has come, and we anticipate anew the ways God will be revealed among us in the coming year.

Therefore, Advent becomes a time of preparation that is marked by prayer. We offer prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers for deliverance, prayers of those walking in darkness who are awaiting and anticipating a great light. During this Advent season, we will be offering many opportunities in worship and study to offer these prayers with one another as we anticipate the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Yet, it all begins with the hope that God will come and come again to reveal new things and new possibilities. This time of year we contemplate that hope embodied in a newborn baby, the perfect example of newness and potential. During Advent, we pray for that newness with the hope, the expectation, indeed the faith, that God will once again be faithful to see our circumstances, to hear our cries, know our longings for whole lives, for a stronger church, and for a better world.

Let us journey through Advent together as a church family with the hope that continues to prepare us to see possibility, and with the faith that prepares us for the day when God will once again fulfill promises made.

Grace and peace,
Rev. James K. Poinsett