Advent is a word that means a “coming into view” or “arrival.”
- Rev. Martin Brooks
- Dec 31
- 2 min read
On November 30, we enter into a 4-week season in the Christian year we call Advent. Advent is a word that means a “coming into view” or “arrival.” Advent in the Christian year is meant to be a time of preparation for Christmas, the celebration of Jesus’ birth. While we prepare for the joyous celebration of Christmas, we need to remind ourselves that preparation can be spiritual as well as practical. Family and personal traditions may need to be planned in order to celebrate the holiday season, but we also need to prepare our hearts and minds to welcome the Christ Child anew into our lives.
During worship in this Advent season, we will sing carols, enjoy our choir (with a Cantata on December 14 at 11:00 a.m.), and view a pageant prepared by our children and youth (on December 21 at 9:00 a.m.). My sermon series this Advent is called Beyond the Snow Globe. A snow globe, as you may know, is a small toy or piece of sculpture that presents an idyllic scene. When you shake it, snow falls on the scene. Sometimes, a snow globe may present a beautiful Christmas tree with a snowman dressed in a top hat. We may also see snow globes that depict Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in a manger. In this scene, we may view a Mary who does not look as though she just gave birth, a Joseph who has not just been turned away at the inn, and a Jesus who rests peacefully in a feeding trough. While the perfect scene of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus may remind us of the true meaning of Christmas, there is a caution we need to make. A snow globe, or any scene of the nativity can cause us to view Christmas as a fairy tale, not the true story of God who humbled Himself in order to reconnect with human beings who had turned away from God.
As God came into our world at Christmas, let us pray that God will help us to prepare for the Christ to enter our lives this Advent and Christmas season, bringing us hope, peace, love, and joy! Let us prepare in order to proclaim to all…Merry Christmas!
Pastor Martin
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