Supplement to Lincoln Daily News.com
2013 Worship Guide
Page 7
As we anticipate our cantatas and caroling
celebrations, our waiting can easily turn
into worry. Will that shepherd remember
his line? What time should we have that
cookie exchange? Are we exchanging gifts?
Should we opt for a “white elephant”?
Before we get to the “reason for the season,”
we must first wait and prepare our hearts
for what this arrival means. Before Christ-
mas must come Advent, the season when
we remember how God put on flesh and
moved into the neighborhood.
It is a time for us to sit with our contrast-
ing emotions: We are eager, yet frazzled;
sentimental, yet indifferent. We often sense
the deeper meaning of the season, but in
the midst of our busy lives, feel like we are
grasping in vain. This process can leave us
drained and emotionally frustrated.
Advent invites us to stop, to listen and to be,
amidst the hustle and bustle. Mother Teresa
once noted that the first person to welcome
Christ was John the Baptist, who leapt for
joy at his recognition, though both of them
were still within their mother’s wombs.
Advent invites us to see past superficial
distractions that prevent us from joyfully
recognizing the still, small voice of God that
whispers ever so sweetly, “I am God with us.
I am God with you.”
