11-27-2005

Celebrating the freeing, supportive presence of God. So your experience of God may become your experience of life. It is wonderful what God can do!

"Hope and Expectation"

November 27, 2005

   Without hope and expectation, life would be so much more precarious. If the movement of the earth were so erratic that we could not depend on when or even if the sun would again shine, our lives would indeed not only be dark, but would be filled with pessimism and depression. The expectation that the sun will shine with the dawn of a new day, is one of the strong elements of hope and expectation with which we live.

   Hope and expectation come to us in our daily living when we are immersed in a life of faith. Faith is the foundation for hope and expectation. A life without faith is usually a life devoid of expectation and optimism.

   Advent is the season hope, and is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world dominated by sin, and yet (those) who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!

   It is that hope, however faint at times, and that God, however distant he sometimes seems, which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness. It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.

   The word ‘Advent’ means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival.’ The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent.

   Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that Christ is present in the world today, and that Christ will come again in power.

   We celebrate with gladness the great promise in Advent, yet knowing that there is also a cautious tone as the theme of preparedness is added to the theme of promise. This is reflected in some of the Scripture readings for Advent, in which there is a strong prophetic tone of accountability and judgment on sin. But this is also faithful to the role of the Coming King who comes to rule, save, and judge the world.

   Because of the dual themes of preparedness and promise, Advent is a time of preparation that is marked by prayer. While Lent is characterized by fasting and a spirit of penitence, Advent’s prayers are prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers of submission, prayers for deliverance, prayers from those walking in darkness who are awaiting and anticipating a great light (Isaiah 9).

   The spirit of Advent is expressed well in the parable of the bridesmaids who are anxiously awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom (Matt. 25:1-13). There is a profound joy at the Bridegroom’s expected coming; and yet a warning of the need for preparation echoes through the parable. But even then, the prayer of Advent is still this— “Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel!”

   The circle of the Advent Wreath reminds us of God—and his eternity and endless mercy which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life. The candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of God’s son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ. The light of the candles itself becomes an important symbol of the season. The light reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God’s grace to others (Is. 42:6).

   The progression in the lighting of the candles symbolizes the various aspects of our waiting experience. As the candles are lighted over the four week period, it also symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and the shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. The flame of each new candle reminds the worshipers that something is happening, and that more is yet to come.

   Finally, the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas, and worshipers rejoice over the fact that the promise of long ago has been realized.

   Advent also serves as a reminder of what our daily life and philosophy should be—one filled with hope and expectation that God is always present and is always doing a new thing in our midst. God is inviting us to discover his work in our lives and in the lives of others.

   When our circumstances are uncertain, confusing, frustrating, painful, and appearing to be hopeless, it is then we are reminded that with God, nothing is ever hopeless. God is our fortress and our strength … a very present help in time of trouble. God will never leave us nor forsake us. With God’s power and presence, we are able to live lives of faith filled with hope, expectation, and optimism.

   Lord God, help us practice faith-filled lives, and live with your power of hope and expectation in this Advent and Christmas season, and even for ever more. Amen.

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