What is Advent?
The word Advent comes to us from the Latin “adventus” which means arrival or coming. During Advent we look forward to the arrivals of Christ. Many of us are aware that we celebrate the birth of Christ in December and that is one of the arrivals we anticipate in Advent. But we also anticipate Christ’s return – his second arrival. In this way we look forward to the hope we have and find assurance and joy by looking backward at God’s faithfulness in sending us Emanuel, Our Lord, Jesus Christ some 2000 years ago.
Advent is all about anticipation. It is a time for prayerful reflection, for quiet prayer, for fasting, and generosity - that we might use the tools of grace God has given us to draw our attention to Christ. As a church, each week, we will light a candle, share a brief Advent reflection, read from the Word about God’s promises, and pray expectantly together.
Advent culminates in Christmas on December 25th, as we celebrate the first coming of Christ and joyfully look forward to the second coming of our Lord. We feast, sing and celebrate gladly enjoying our God and his good gifts. That celebration continues through January 6th, Epiphany Sunday.
For a more full exploration of Advent with helpful resources, please review this rich page:
Advent Resources - Mosaic at Park Avenue Baptist (churchcenter.com)
Advent Week One: Hope
Now as we begin, this week we focus on the Christian hope. A hope that is anchored for us today in a person - Jesus - God become man - Emmanuel. But the people of God have always been a people filled with hope.
With hope Abraham left all he knew and set out.
With hope Noah built the Ark.
With hope Moses led the people out of Egypt and into the wilderness.
With hope Joshua led them into the land.
With hope David stored up the materials to build God’s temple.
With hope Solomon built that Temple.
With hope the scattered people of God looked forward to their restoration.
With hope the prophets prophesied about the coming Messiah.
With hope the disciples left all they knew and followed Jesus.
With hope the disciples ran to see the empty tomb.
With hope they proclaimed the faith to far flung places anticipating Jesus’s second coming.
The people of God have always been a people of hope. People who look back on the faithfulness of God and look forward to the fulfillment of his promises. Despair may come for us in Christ, but we know that the hope we have can never be totally snuffed out. Christ has come. Christ has been raised. Christ will come again. And so this week as we look back at his first coming and anticipate his second coming, let us be filled with hope. A hope which will not disappoint. Just as the light from the candle we will soon light burns, may the light and warmth of hope fill us and illuminate a hopeless and dreary world.
