Stewardship of Life

Hope, Peace, Joy and Love

By Rob Blezard, December 5, 2012

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. -Luke 1:78,79

Advent is the time of waiting, but what are we usually waiting for? For presents? Parties? Santa Claus? Winter vacation from school? Travel to Grandma’s house? Dinner with family? The after-Christmas sales?

The answer is yes, and no.

Yes, because that’s what our culture tells us Advent and Christmas is really all about. And no, because we are Christians first, and consumers second. We wait for Jesus.

The answer is yes and no because we are always pulled in these two directions. We are simultaneously Americans and Christians, just as we are simultaneously sinner and saint.

The energy of consumerism has all but swallowed Advent, an ancient season that used to be celebrated with quietness and prayer as Christmas approached. The idea wasn’t merely to wait for the birth of Jesus, but to prepare through prayer and spiritual disciplines.

The above quotation from Luke 1 captures the essence of Advent. Read it again. But read it slowly, as you would savor a fine chocolate with complex sweetness and luxurious texture. Go ahead.

You need only watch the news to know that we are, indeed, a people who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. We need the light of the dawn from on high to break upon us. We need to be guided in the way of peace.

The four weeks of Advent help bring us into the proper spirit for “the dawn from on high” that will “give light to those who sit in darkness. Advent worship is rich in symbolism.

• The parements (cloths) that adorn the altar are deep blue, the color of the sky before dawn, when it is neither night nor morning.
• With its five candles, the Advent wreath provides a visual representation of the gathering dawn. We light one candle the first week of Advent, two the second week, three the third, and four the fourth. At Christmas we light all five because the dawn of Christ has come.
• Each week of Advent has a theme. Each them expresses the gifts of God we have in the miracle of Christmas: Hope, Peace, Joy. Love.

Now that’s worth waiting for!