A little humor from the Los Angeles Times:
Bob Bayer of Westchester, California, observed that his three-year-old daughter, McCayleigh, was repeatedly watching a Barney Christmas special videotape that she had received as a present for Christmas. Finally, he told her,
Honey, you shouldn’t watch that tape anymore. Christmas is over.
She replied.
No Daddy, Christmas isn’t over. Christmas is coming.
Kind of feels that way, doesn’t it? As we get older, time just seems to fly! It feels like we just celebrated Christmas a few months ago. Of course, it doesn’t help that we have been hearing Christmas music on the radio since Halloween!
So, here we find ourselves beginning the season of Advent once again, our church decorations have changed from the fall like scenario into a stark contrast of evergreens and purple cloths and vestments. Advent is meant to be a time of penance and preparation. (That is what the purple color reminds us of!) However, we all know when our churches are purple, then the next color is ________. Yes, white which stands for Celebration & New Life (just like with Lent and Easter).
Advent and Adventure come from the same root word meaning: to take a journey, or look to the horizon. So look not only where we are, but where we are traveling on this spiritual experience.
Our readings this weekend are sort-of a bridge between the old and the new — not centering on the end, but on our new beginnings. Each week, we will see our churches look a little more like Christmas simply because we have already experienced the celebration of Christmas within our lives, we know the story! However, this year we will get to our destination, but the journey will take us on a new path, simply due to the world we are now living in. I encourage you, see this season of Advent, as not only a journey with a climax, but also as a gift from our loving God that will produce many great memories. So, what do you say? Are you willing to take this adventure with me? Come, Lord Jesus, Come!