I'm here tonight at Waters of Life, a locally owned Christian coffeehouse and bookstore in Miami. My friends are doing their sound check and I'm here thinking about Advent, the Old English Church, Elwin Ransom, helping a friend out in English and writing this blog entry out.
You might suggest or conclude that there is a certain peculiarity to starting out an entry on Advent in this way. But, . . . the thing is that the notion of Advent isn't about compartmentalizing the season to brief, usually ill-prepared, candle-lighting moments at the commencement of Sunday worship services across America.
So, if it's not about chocolate Advent calenders, then . . . what's the point,already. The shopping frenzy is in full vigor, where the money is coming from, I don't know. There are no limits to where you can find trees for sale, either. Let me share an extreme and disgusting example: Driving to visit a friend last night, I passed on US1 a strip club selling Christmas Trees on it's property. I might add, there's no fear of God, whatsoever.
Anticipatory Penitence. That's what Advent is about. . .
It about being humbled at the magnitude of our sin, our folly and our pride. In short: our brokenness. Despite the weaknesses of our flesh and our inexplicable ability to negate the undeniable presence, power, purpose, plan and provisions of God on a daily and faithful basis, God is among us and fasted for 33 years from the incomprehensible holiness of Heaven in order to pitch His tent among us and redeem all creation - not just our spirits, but our flesh and all that God called good so long ago.
Anticipatory Penitence. That's what Advent must be. . .
It must be a commitment to decrease our protagonism in our lives so that God's will and presence can take center stage in our lives. It is mandatory that we acknowledge how we dilute the Gospel message and massage it to fit our whims, needs and desires. As we face the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, we choose to address our pride and desire anew to turn our lives over to our Lord and Savior - not for a season - but once and for all. As the sacrifice on the cross was a one time and perfect sacrifice, we turn our every aspect of our lives - ALL of it - to Him as a living and contrite sacrifice. No part of our lives remains ours to control, dictate and choose what is best.
Anticipatory Penitence. That's what Advent will always be . . .
It's about asking the Spirit of God to reconfigure our minds and our hearts so that our greatest desire is to be humbled, willing to be taught and willing to forego the easy life of church for the hard life in Christ. We anticipate the sacrifices with joy, count the losses and pain as gain and look forward to the day our Redeemer returns. In the meantime, we anticipate seeing Christ in the least of these, not in theory, but in everyday practice. We look forward to seeing the Kingdom break into, and break through, hardened hearts and seemingly impossible situations. We anticipate Heaven by living in peace with our enemies, friends, families and angels unaware.
Anticipatory Penitence.
Wait for the Light tonight. Look forward to God's breaking into your life and your hearts. In these hopeful states of heart, mind and soul will we truly make room for the Babe of Bethlehem in the filthy stables we call our hearts. It is only then that we will see all things as genuinely redeemable - especially me, you - all of us - only then we will "get" the incomprehensible love of God.
