Luke 21:25-29”
“There will be signs in the sun,
the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by
the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and
foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will
be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and
great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your
heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Today’s scripture
seems a far cry from what we might expect as we begin the Advent season. Isn’t
it all about the birth of Christ, in a stable, with angels, and the Wise Men,
and the shepherds with their sheep—Mary holding the Christ Child, and Joseph
contemplating all that has occurred since his visit from the Angel?
The Advent
season, of course includes this beautiful celebration. But we’re reminded again
by this scripture to think about the greatest gift God could have given us—His
Son, for our salvation—and that Advent is a time of reflection. How is our
relationship with God coming along? Are we doing our best as we claim our
discipleship with Christ? It can be so
hard to focus on and reflect about our journey with Christ when we find
ourselves in the midst of the hustle and bustle of shoppers, the endless
commercials telling us Christmas will be here before we know it, and….It
sometimes seems the world has forgotten the “reason for the season.”
Just hang in
there! Make time for prayer and meditation; help those in our community who
have so little; take advantage of those opportunities Christ puts before us to
help someone in need. Worhip with our church community to experience the true
meaning of Christmas. Celebrate with great joy the birth of our Savior. We’ll enjoy
our family and friends, share memories of Christmases past, but we should also
remember the promise that Christ will come again.
Prayer: Loving God,
today we start the journey toward Bethlehem, a stable, and remembering the day
your Son came into the world to save us from our sins. As we await his return
to redeem the world for eternity, open our hearts so that as we move through
this Advent season, the joy of knowing the love of God through Jesus Christ
overshadows everything else we experience. Amen
Reverend
Doctor LaGretta Bjorn
Pastor of the United Methodist Church of
Spring Valley, New York
Diane Feaganes
No comments:
Post a Comment