Monday, December 21, 2009

Advent Preparation, Waiting and Wonder

My Advent reflections have focused on three major themes:

1) Preparation - John the Baptizer's message of a cleansing baptism for the repentance of sins speaks to my need to make preparations for the coming Christ. Painful valleys to be lifted up and mountains of pride to be leveled, all by grace.

2) Waiting - Here the testimony of Mary in Luke 1:38, "Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (ESV), speaks to my need to wait with pregnant patience, for the coming Christ. The image of the Christ child developing in Mary's womb also speaks to my need to have Christ formed in me day by day.

3) Wonder - I have been imagining what it would be like to physically look upon the baby Jesus, knowing that this is the God who created all and holds it all together with his powerful word. What wonder is this?! That the great God of the universe would come to us in a stable and say in effect, "I entrust myself to you. Will you care for me?" What an approachable God! He enters our history in utter weakness and poverty so that, among other things, we would not be afraid of him.

May my heart not draw back this Christmas, but press in towards this kind of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

O, Come let us adore Him.



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