I've been thinking about Advent a lot lately...
Growing up, I never knew about Advent. Of course, I knew about the Christmas season, stretching from Thanksgiving until December 25th. But whenever I was in that season, it felt like something very important was missing...but I figured it was just something wrong with me and the way I perceived the season.
When I started college, I started learning about Advent (lit. "coming"). It's a period marked by longing. We remember the longing of the Israelites, awaiting the coming Messiah. Now, situated between the first and second comings, we long for Christ to continually come into our hearts, making our brokenness whole. And more than anything else, we remember that there is more still to come, and we wait for Jesus to come back again, raising our dead and making His home with us in a way that's not just spiritual, but tangible.
This way of looking at the season is a lot more human than trying to be perpetually happy from Thanksgiving to Christmas day, with all the happiness suddenly halting December 26th.
Although I am filled with joy at the coming of Christ to (and in) us, I realize that that joy only has substance because I remember the longing that led up to Him coming...and I still am longing so much.
Personally, I'm longing for a lot of things. With all my dental issues, I'm longing intensely for my physical brokenness to be made whole. I've been accutely aware of my own depravity and fallenness lately, and so I've found myself needing my Savior, making me spiritually whole every day. And as I've experienced death hurt the people I love, I long for the day when we're resurrected just like Christ has been...experiencing in its fullness how Jesus brings us victory over the grave.
What are you longing for?
posted by Erin Marshalek @ 1:26 PM
6 Comments:
Good thoughts Erin. The world has forgotten that there are 12 days of Christmas (Dec 25-Jan 6), and that there are 4 weeks of preparation (or 40 days for us Eastern Christians).
I am only longing for more of Him and less of me.
Deac, I really appreciate your thoughts. I wish I knew more about the Christian calendar and based my life more around this rhythm. That's a goal for this year. It's such a beautiful thing, and really taps at some of our deepest joys and longings.
More of Him and less of us...I think we could all do to long for this. Good call. : )
Oh, and thanks for coming to my blog...that's really cool. : )
"I wish I knew more about the Christian calendar and based my life more around this rhythm. That's a goal for this year. It's such a beautiful thing, and really taps at some of our deepest joys and longings."
GOTO www.touchstonemag.org , the site for _Touchstone, A JOurnal of Mere Christianity_. It is an ecumenical venture with Conservative Protestants, RC and EOs on the editorial board. They put out a calander of the Christian year, that includes the feasts and fasts and lectionary of both the Christian East and West. I think you'd like it.
Keep posting thoughtful articles, and I'll keep visiting! ;-) I know how hard that is is though, I have been reduced to family pictures and links to other sites on my blog (bonovox.squarespace.com)lately.
Christ is born!
Hey Deac, thanks for the links. As soon as I finish up here on this site, I will check out both the touchstone link and your own blog. :-)
I appreciate you coming to my blog. Your comment today was my encouragement to sit down and write tonight. Since I'm on break for a couple more weeks, I'm hoping to be more consistent with updates (though that's a goal and not a promise!).
Christ is born...amen! I hope you had a merry and blessed Christmas.
www.touchstonemag.COM....not org....sorry, eh!
Lol, thanks, Deac! : )
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