Believe it or not it’s that time of year again.  This is the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year and we begin anew next Sunday with the season of Advent.  It is a season of watching and waiting.  We must be ready for we do not know when Jesus will return in glory; Awake, O sleeper, arise from sleep!     

Next Sunday, too, the familiarity of Advent will be apparent in the environment of the church.  Shades of purple signify the coming of royalty; it is Jesus, the King of kings and Prince of Peace, who comes.  The four Advent candles help us mark the weeks before his arrival.  Three purple and one pink: the pink candle on the third week for rejoicing that the Holy One is in our midst!  The evergreen branches remind us of longevity: always green, always leafy, evergreens symbolize the eternal nature of God’s love.

Along with Advent feelings of anticipation and joy come the adverse effects the pressures of preparing for Christmas bring.  The sheer terror that we may not be able to accomplish all the things that need to be done before Christmas comes!

Let’s be counter-cultural this Advent by focusing on the reason for the season: we are remembering the coming of Jesus into our lives.  Rejoice and be glad!      (November 23, 2003)