Advent Reflections 2022

Week 1: Sunday, November 27

First Week of Advent: Waiting on the Promise 

Sunday November 27th

1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11
 
Vs 5-8
For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

Oftentimes waiting is the hardest part; the time in between answers or moments, the pause of the unknown. The letter of St. St. Paul to the Thessalonian Church is an exhortation of encouragement and love for people that were living in this in-between time: they were waiting expectantly on the second advent of Christ. And although his arrival was guaranteed, the time was unknown.

Paul writes to this community, “for you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober”. The Thessalonians were already devoted Christ followers that were living Gospel focused lives. And just like us today, they sometimes stumbled or came up short, yet went through their days with the ever present reminder that Jesus could (and would!) return at any moment. Just as the early Christians were guided by Paul, we too are asked to stay awake during the in-between time, remain sober from worldly intoxication and be watchful for Christ as we wait.

Wrapping ourselves in this spiritual armor of faith, love and hope, allows us to live lives that reflect the Gospel and helps guard our heart and mind so we can freely love God and our neighbor. Our hope of Salvation is planted in the guaranteed arrival of Jesus Christ, the trust in the faithful promises of God; and the waiting truly is the hardest part.

Week 1, Monday, November 28

2 Peter 1:1-11
 
Vs 3-9
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Promises.

Advent is a season of promise and time of waiting expectantly for the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The promised messiah, the savior of the world, has not only been resurrected and ascended, but will come again. God promised.

The promises of Christ are indeed access to eternal life, grace and mercy…but also forgiveness. He has promised us new life in baptism and the restoration of creation at the end of time. These are the precious and very great promises that have been given to humanity through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

We have been given the way to find freedom from the corruption of this broken, fallen world, our own sin, and share in his divine nature.

Jesus’ life and death has given us the promise of access to eternal life; his divinity will offer us the grace and mercy we are so badly in need of to live our earthly lives.

Jesus Christ has already given the perfect example of faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. And because our human nature is not capable, we have been promised access to the divine nature that makes these things possible.

This Advent we have the opportunity to once again be mindful of our waiting (and our need for God!) and take the time to turn our hearts toward the promises of Christ.