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By: Pastor Berg

It had become an annual event. A plan would be laid out. A step by step route would be followed. A well-defined list of goals was in hand. Alarms were set. Excitement filled the frigid air as people would gladly, willingly arise, well before the sun, to stand outside in the freezing cold, coffee in hand, all for the rush of Black Friday shopping.

Notice I said had. I said had not because people have changed their minds or lost their love of the “hunt for great deals.” I said had because it’s no longer Black Friday. It’s not even midnight on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Some stores are beginning their deals at 6:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day! It’s as if we just can’t wait for Christmas.

November 23rd , Thanksgiving Day, begins the busiest month in many people’s lives. Our society goes full throttle into celebrating Christmas, at least the secular part of Christmas, before Thanksgiving is even over. The streets are full of festive lights. The stores are stocked with Christmas knick knacks and holiday treats. We are reminded constantly of the perfect gift for this holiday season. We rush from this party to that concert to this store to that event. Inevitably, we celebrate Christmas so much before it’s actually Christmas, that when the season actually arrives, we can’t wait for it to be over. That’s the way the world thinks about Christmas. Anticipation builds for a month and then in one day it’s done. Go to the stores the day after Christmas and you’ll find the decorations down, the goodies on clearance, and the Valentine’s Day candy already stocked on the shelves.

The Church doesn’t look at Christmas this way. The Christmas season begins on Christmas Day, December 25th, and continues for 12 days until the Day of Epiphany, January 6th . Similarly, the Church has a season of preparation and anticipation for Christmas. We call that season Advent. Advent is derived from a Latin word which means “coming.” The first and most obvious “coming” that a Christian looks for is the coming of the Christ child. In Advent, the church looks to the promises of God. They look to the promise that God would send the Messiah, the Anointed One, to save his people from their sins.

But for New Testament Christians like ourselves, Advent has a second focus, a second “coming” to look forward to. Jesus promised his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3). Jesus’ first coming prepared our place with him in heaven. By his perfect life and innocent death on the cross, Jesus made us at peace with God. He prepared a spot in heaven with our names on it. And he’s promised to come back to take us there, to be with him forever.

On Sunday, November 26th , the colors in church will change to blue. Blue is a color of hope, the color of the sky. Instead of getting caught up with Christmas so soon, enjoy Advent, please! Enjoy recounting all that God has done for you, the promises he’s made to you. Enjoy lifting up your eyes toward heaven and looking for Jesus to come again. Slow down as you soak in all the promises that God fulfilled in sending his only Son into the world. God is giving us a wonderful opportunity to prepare for Christmas. It’s called Advent. Please enjoy it!