It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s that time of year again. It’s that time of year when we’re busy doing this and doing that. We have this family event to drive to, that school concert to go to, that work Christmas party to attend. The month of December is full of activities to keep us busy as the approaching Christmas holiday draws ever nearer.



The church is a bit different, though. The church takes time to sit back and “enjoy” the season before Christmas. This time is the church’s season of Advent. In it, we wait for the coming of God in Christ by preparing ourselves in prayer and meditation. We wait for the coming of Christ by rejoicing at God’s promise to be with us, to abide with us, to be our Emmanuel. We wait for the coming of Christ by beholding what wondrous blessings God has showered on us already in the life and death of Christ, as God with us and God for us. Advent is a time that we as the church intentionally celebrate God’s first coming as a baby in a barn at Bethlehem as well as look for the promised return in glory at the end of all time. As we look for that time, we wait…we prepare…we rejoice…and we behold.

A popular song I’m sure you’ll be hearing when shopping for Christmas presents or driving from the many activities that fill this pre-Christmas season is “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” While this song focuses on the Christmas holiday, it in fact holds a lot of truth even in this frenzied mad dash to December 25. This is indeed one of the most wonderful times of the year. A time for us to step back from the craziness of our lives and to appreciate, to really “enjoy” the abundant blessings God showers on us and to look forward to that a time to celebrate Christ’s coming as well as look forward with hopeful expectation to his returning.

Happy Advent everyone!

-DS