Christmas seems to have arrived a little early this year. Normally, I encourage you all to refrain from jumping the gun on the holiday and be intentional about observing the four weeks of Advent. I recognize this year has unfurled like no other, and we are all feeling a little adrift right now. Our merriment mixes with melancholy as we continue to find our way through this uncharted sea. I remember reading stories in grade school about sailors who worked without maps and relied on the North Star to gauge their position and guide their ships above the unknown watery abyss. The constant light in the heavens provided a navigational tool, but I believe it also gave a sure comfort on uncertain nights.
Our family has an annual tradition of picking up frozen custard and taking a drive to look at Christmas lights. Normally, we do this in the middle of December, but we could not wait any longer and made the trip the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We needed a little bit of Christmas right that very minute, and, for a short period, all felt right in the world. The darkness still hung heavy, but it was no match for the warm lights twinkling from eaves, sparkling on trees, and shining through the windows. I know it’s not the “reason for the season,” but it provided a comfort that even though the night was long, the light is still there.
We returned to our home and read the first Sunday Advent scripture, discussed the provided questions, said a prayer, and lit the Hope Candle. Sometimes, we need to see a little light in the world before we can ignite our candles at home. We’ll continue to do the Advent liturgy each week and proceed on our journey toward Christmas with Love, Peace, Joy, and Christ. I don’t know when the long night of this pandemic will end, but I find comfort in the lights that still shine in the world and are waiting for us to light in our homes. It provides a navigational tool through the calendar, but it also comforts us with the truth that God is surely with us. “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:3b-5, NRSV.)
I pray you have a wonderful Advent season as we wait on and seek to follow the Great Light of the World.
In Hope and Confidence,
Pastor Dave
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