A Lincoln Daily News.com Publication
2014 Worship Guide
27
First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln
awakenings
Through stained glass:
T
hough Advent (literally “arrival”) has been observed for
centuries as a time to contemplate Christ’s birth, most
people today acknowledge it only with a blank look. For the
vast majority of us, December flies by in a flurry of activities,
and what is called “the holiday season” turns out to be the most
stressful time of the year.
This time of the year can also be a time of contrasting
emotions. We are eager, yet frazzled; sentimental, yet
indifferent. One minute we glow at the thought of getting
together with our family and friends; the next we feel utterly
alone. Our hope is mingled with dread our anticipation with
despair. Even we who do not experience such tensions—
who genuinely look forward to the Christmas season—at
times, might miss the point. Content with candles and carols
and good food, we bask in the warmth of familiar traditions
in reciprocated acts of kindness, and in feelings of general
goodwill. While this in itself is not bad, it would do us well
to stop amidst the hurriedness of the season and to ponder
the unwelcoming realities of Christ’s first coming: the dank
stable, the cold night, the closed door of the inn.
Won’t this get in the way of the holly and jolly-ness of the
spirit of the season?
Not at all. Rather, to ask these questions will only help us
further enter into the essence of Christmas as we become
mindful of how God became flesh in the infant Jesus.
Furthermore, once we take the time to be still and listen for the
Continued
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