December 2006
THE SEASON OF ANTICIPATION
Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If
you don't stop and look around once in a while, you
could miss it.” What a pearl of great wisdom; even if
Ferris Bueller is a fictional movie character. Life
does come at us fast; often too fast for our own good
and far too often by our own design. We get so busy
with our schedules that we sometimes have to make an
appointment to even spend a little time with God.
I must say that I am thankful for the study we just
completed; the “Treasures of the Transformed Life”. I
am also very thankful for all of you who so graciously
opened your homes for the small groups and all of you
who took the time to attend. Thanks also to those who
lead and attended the Sunday school classes. Without
all of your efforts the study wouldn’t have been such
a success.
This study has been a great help for me. It has
forced me to refocus my attention and my time on the
things that really matter. That may sound funny coming
from a pastor, but I must confess that I, and probably
many other pastors, have a propensity to get caught up
in the business of pastoring and lose touch with the
very source of our strength and endurance. This study
was a reminder for me that it is only through God that
all things are possible. We all need to keep that in
the forefront of all that we do. We all need to make
daily trips to the well for that water that refreshes
not only the body, but also the soul. We all need to
be intentional to make time to spend time daily in the
presence of God. If we don’t, as Ferris said, we are
going to “miss it”.
The Advent Season is one of those intentional times.
The word “advent” derives from the Latin word adventus
which means “coming”. Accordingly, the season of
Advent proclaims the “coming” of the Christ, whose
birth we prepare to celebrate this Christmas.
Christmas is such a wonderful time; especially when
we get past Santa Claus and the giving and receiving
of presents which has become so secularized. In a way,
we could look at these things as the metaphorical
wrappings of the true gift of the Christmas season.
Christmas or Christ mass is one of the high church
days or holidays that “bring us to the well” to find
true refreshment; especially if we haven’t been there
in a while. It’s a time to really let it soak into our
souls how much God loves us – enough to send his very
son into time and space as a child in a manger;
destined to grow into a man – a king – sent to serve
and to save. No gift has ever been or could ever be
more precious.
But adventus also carries with it a sense of
anticipation; a sense of longing for what is to come.
Just as the Christ of God came into the world as a
baby to save us, he has promised to come again to
redeem us and all of creation to himself. Just as the
“prophets of old” longed for and eagerly awaited that
first coming of the Messiah of God, today we long for
and eagerly await his return.
This year, as we move through the Advent Season, let
us look back at the birth of a baby and celebrate
God’s love, but let us also look forward in
anticipation and hope for the glory to come when our
Savior returns . . . Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel!
Grace and Peace, The Rev. Rob Hughes
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O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing