Countdown to Christmas

The countdown to Christmas has begun.  For merchants, it began a few days before Halloween.  It intensified with Black Friday or even Gray Thursday as it is now called. 

However, for the community of faith, the countdown begins today with the First Sunday of Advent.  Advent is a season of expectation.  That anticipation grows through the four Sundays of Advent.  For many celebrants, the Advent wreath with four candles catches up the growing expectation.  Each Sunday a new candle burns and prayers and scriptures are read to sharpen our expectation and devotion.

Advent means "coming."  The affirmation of the Advent season is "Jesus came, He comes and Jesus will come again."  Therefore, the holy season of Advent is intended to help us remember Jesus' birth long ago.  It serves to prepare us for a fresh coming of His Spirit this Christmas.  And in all our present festivities, we yearn and pray for His coming again as He promised.

Let the Advent-ure begin!