11/27/12- Between Memory and Hope

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” (Rev. 22:16)

(Morning star rising)

Thoughts: We are approaching advent.  Some are advent purists, others don't know what advent is all about, and some, like me, are more flexible in how we celebrate it.  Advent is a wonderful tool to think and spend time waiting on God.  The word means "coming."  We live between the first advent (Christmas) and Christ's coming again at the end of the world- or coming to us (face to face) at the end of our lives.  There is a book on advent with an excellent title- "Between Memory and Hope."  It is not that Christ has not come- we do not, I believe, receive much benefit from artificially saying He has not.  Christmas hymns (contrary to what some say) can really be sung any time.  We can celebrate Christmas every day- for He comes into our hearts to make our home.  But advent is a blessing if used in the right way.  It is a season of putting our focus back on God- even if just for 4 weeks.  Today, we are even more busy in advent.  We have completely lost the idea of Sabbath in our culture- and now busy-ness even encroaches more upon us- as people are forced to work on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve or Day (believe it or not, many stores when I was young used to close on Christmas Eve).
Perhaps the best image of advent is like the sun's rising- or the morning star coming up.  When the morning star came, it was a sign to those without clocks that the darkness was about to end.  It did this every day.  So we could anticipate the coming of the morning star cycle based not only on math, but usually on simple past experience.  So advent and Christmas come as both memory and hope.  Christ is the morning star that brings light to our darkness.   He does that each day- each day He offers to come if we will look at Him.  As the morning star came long, long ago first at creation- so Christ came long, long ago at Christmas- but also comes every day.  As the morning star promises a time of brighter light and hope fulfilled- so Christmas is a promise of brighter light for us.   

Prayer: Light up my heart once again, O Lord.  I wait on you in hope because of the past, because of the promises, because of your great love.