I love this time of year. I love cold winter weather, holiday parties, snow, time away from work, time with family, the hopes of am NFL playoff berth (though not this year), presents, Christmas songs, my mom's homemade toffee & russian tea cakes ... I could go on and on. Then there's a little thing called TCX ...! But in the last few years the season of Advent has eclipsed the surface-level enjoyment of these things, in a good way. I've been experiencing the heart of Advent - a desire for Jesus to come back and make everything wrong in the world right. This word Advent comes from the latin word adventus, meaning "coming." We celebrate Jesus' coming into this world. That's what Christmas is all about, isn't it? But we also focus on the desire for Jesus to come again. Advent is about the waiting and expectation of the day Jesus will come again to make things right. In my life, Advent has become this annual season where I enter into this period of waiting, longing, yearning. And while meditating on these things seems in contrast to the rest of the Christmas season, it's been so good to keep perspective on the right things. Followers of Christ love to proclaim the real meaning of Christmas - but in the midst of this, please don't miss out on the meaning and purpose behind Advent. Not just to count the days until the celebration of the birth of Christ- but to meditate on the return of Christ and what that means for us now. In Advent, we welcome Jesus to this earth, remembering his first visit and longing for his return. In Advent, we say "Maranatha" - meaning "Come, Lord." Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
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Amy WellnerEncouraging others to intentionally live out their God-given identity. Archives
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