Week 1: Waiting

"The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. ²In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. ³Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ⁴He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ⁵O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!" Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)

 “Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. … Whoever does not know the austere blessedness of waiting — that is, of hopefully doing without — will never experience the full blessing of fulfillment.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

For the first week of Advent we will contemplate what it means to wait. In the traditional liturgy of the Christian Church, the first Sunday of Advent is marked by a purple candle which represents "Hope." Waiting and hoping are very familiar ideas for many of us, especially within the context of the Christmas season. Our challenge is to consider for what exactly we are waiting and hoping. Tonight we discussed the many ways we are "right now" people. We have the ability to get much of what we need right away. Waiting becomes something that annoys us or slows us down. Hope often turns into want of material possessions.

Advent is a time that forces us to slow down and to thoughtfully prepare for the coming of Christ. This isn't an easy thing. The weeks leading up to Christmas aren't always the most peaceful, quiet, or thoughtful. One way to break this habit is to think of Advent as a time of preparation similar to the 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter. It is a time of reflection and hope that leads us to the most joyous event; the birth of Jesus Christ. This week, we will focus on the theme of "waiting" and what it means for us as Christians.