“Hear ye, Hear ye! Christmas is coming. Christmas in July sale! Only 150 days left until Christmas. Are you ready for Christmas? Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!” The ads and slogans bombard our senses. Commercials, emails and advertisements. We barely enjoy one holiday and the décor and supplies for the next have overtaken the store displays. Retail establishments are driven by a profitable sense of urgency rather than my preference of wanting to savor a moment.
Four days before Thanksgiving, I went to the store thinking I would pick up a few more paper plates and napkins. Circling the rows of shelves more than once, I realized, to my dismay, that they did not have any thanksgiving items on display, not even on a clearance rack. Instead, they were well into the Christmas spirit with a dash of New Year’s Eve on an end display. Although I understand the economics of display choice (and lack of), it bothered me that even our shopping culture was rushing me through the seasons. So much for savoring a moment. If I were to gauge my thoughtfulness about a holiday based on the retail displays, I would be well ahead of the calendar always. Forever chasing a diminishing display that cannot wait to empty itself of one celebration to usher in the next. I am not obligated to celebrate according to what is displayed, but sometimes I have not even thought of what is next, much less how I might savor it. In an instant coffee, 10 -minute lube, oil & filter, drive through world, I do not get to pause and reflect much. People barely do that at a red light. Savoring does not merge well with the rush of retail. It requires a concerted effort to keep up with the consumer culture bombardment.
Ironically, the advent season is a call to savor. To sit with the anticipation. That cannot be done quick. It is a counter-culture moment. To savor and reflect on Jesus Christ. It is his arrival that we celebrate. So how do we push the pause button on life to reflect on Advent?
Let’s look at the who, when, where, why and how to remember the importance of this time of reflecting and savoring:
Who is Advent for? The answer is: Advent is for everyone and anyone who wishes to celebrate the reason for the Christmas season: Jesus Christ, God in human form, Lamb of God, and the Savior of the world.
When does it happen? We observe advent the four Sundays before Christmas Day.
Where does it happen? Advent is celebrated all over the world in churches and homes. It is observed in individual hearts and minds.
Why do we observe Advent? Psalm 18:30 says, “Gods way is blameless, the word of the Lord is tried, He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” We observe Advent to contemplate the significance of a blameless God who is a shield and refuge to us.
How do we observe Advent? By reading the Bible, God’s word, to know his character better. We can read, worship, and pray, giving thanks to God for the gift of his son. Traditionally, candles are lit each Sunday of Advent. Each week there is a word that highlights God’s nature. As we light the candle, we read the Bible and focus on God’s character, and thank him for being the God who saves.
Meditate on these weekly words for Advent:
Week 1 Hope We are waiting for the Messiah. He is our hope and expectation. 1 Peter 1:3, Rom. 15:13
Week 2 Peace Our hearts are yearning for Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6, Rom. 5:1
Week 3 Joy True Joy found in Jesus alone. He is our Joy. Luke 2:10, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 51:12
Week 4 Love God is love. He loved us so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sin. 1 John 4:9, John 3:16, Titus 3:4-7, Psalm 90:14
Christmas Day the Christ Candle. The perfect, spotless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, come to earth as a babe, fully God and fully man, to pay the price for the sin that separates us from the Holy God, the Almighty One. Matt. 2:11-12, 2 Peter 3:8-14.
Contemplating Hope. Pausing and reflecting on Christ. He came to save the world from the sin that separates us from a Righteous and Loving, Creator God. His sacrifice is our eternal hope, his second coming the realization of that hope.
Peace is a missing commodity in this world of rushing around. Meditating on the Prince of Peace our hearts yearn for, gives purpose to our pause.
Embracing the Joy found in a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, gives us permission to grieve the hardships and losses in this world, while still anticipating the perfection of eternity with him. Accepting his love. His perfect, limitless love. A love so big that God the Father would send his only Son, to this crazy mixed up world, to live and experience all the emotions of the human existence then to be the perfect sacrifice – the spotless lamb of the Old Testament. He would pay a price we could not pay to give a gift we do not deserve. He died for your sin and mine. He was buried, and He rose again, three days later, according to the scripture. So, we could walk in newness of life, fully loved, fully known, and fully forgiven. Such an indescribable gift.
Then Christmas Day – the celebration of this ultimate gift. The hope and joy of our Salvation. “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing: everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:10. Advent in our hearts always. Praise be to God.
Pause, Reflect and Savor. This is love, joy, peace, and hope. This is Advent.