Last night at community group, we read passages of the bible that centered on themes of advent like new heavens and new earths, God's timing, and be comforted, the savior comes. psalm 85, peter 3, mark 1, isaiah 40 all contain the big idea of waiting for something yet to come, that will come on the Lord's schedule, not ours. The passages have that tension of patience and longing. Everything will be resolved soon, but not yet; wait a little longer, suffer a little longer, it will be so worth it if you do. Mark 1 and isaiah 40 have the famous john the baptist quote: "prepare ye the way of the lord" that handel put so magnificently to music in his "Messiah." These were fitting verses to discuss, considering that sunday's advent candle was the Candle of Preparation.
Preparation. Preparation for what? Preparation for all that God is doing, and will do, and has done. Christ came, Christ comes, Christ will come again. What work there is to do! The heavens and earth will burn up, so says 2 Peter! Yikes. The lord's word will never pass away. Do we treat His words as if they are the only things that will last forever, as things that matter the most? Mountains will be made low, valleys be made high. Is that part of the work we are to do? I see so much desolation in need of comfort. So many people hurt. There are lots of wrongs on every level of society that hurt and destroy. Repentance and right doing is needed is so many areas of the world and our lives. There is so much good and joy in the world to take hold of, if only people could. If only we could break cycles of poverty, if only we could end greed and ambition that promote war, sex trafficking, hopelessness, despair, disease. Isn't that why we believe in the gospel? That Jesus came down to right all the wrongs we experience in this human life, to end all evil? Do we need to be John the Baptists broadcasting repentance and forgiveness of sins? Probably. What work there is to do! Yet, it will be light (as opposed to the alternative). It's not a burden, so Jesus says. Prepare us, Lord, to do the work of your hands!
In trying to find out the names of the advent candles, I stumbled across the wikipedia page for Advent and read that Advent used to be a time of fasting and penitence. The eastern church starts a 40 day fast in mid november during the advent season. It seems that my coffee fast is not so novel after all- i am following a long line of saints who take the fast as far as to not dance! With the long list of christmas tunes on our playlist, dancing can't be helped this advent season, but I might need to look into fasting from the things i am using to replace coffee: hot chocolate, chai lattes, macaroons, food in general. How easy is it to get off track and find substitutes. I need get back and focus on the original purpose: to prepare my heart for christmas by entering into a time of anticipation and waiting. If i fulfill my yearnings and desires with sweets and other means that instantly gratify, how am i really fleshing out this anticipation experiment to its full potential?
so lets add no more sweets, no snacks when i have an urge to drink coffee to the ordeal. Have to look forward, not to the present moment. I need to practice looking forward. I need to look forward to Christmas, to Christ, to his second coming. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Prepare my heart and mind for all that is to come!
Oh, what will i do instead of going to coffee shops? How will Evelyn and I ever get out of the house?
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