παρουσία (parousia) which means "coming," "arrival," or "presence"
The Advent season has typically been observed as a time of preparation, as well as a time for Christians to focus on our hope. We’re reminded at this time of year of the ancient prophecies of a coming Savior, and we anticipate the light Christ brings to a world which is so often filled with darkness (literally and figuratively). This month, I encourage you to find moments of hope in your daily life, whether it's through quiet reflection, the lighting of an Advent wreath, kind words from a friend, or a moment of beauty in nature.
I look forward to celebrating with you at our Advent worship services, where we’ll light the candles of the Advent wreath, and sing the songs that accompany this season of holy quiet. As we did last year, we’ll be using the Holden Evening Service for our Wednesday evening services (12/3, 12/10, & 12/17). Some of you who have been especially blessed by that service may wish to make a special effort to join us at 7:00 for that.
In Greek, "advent" translates to παρουσία (parousia), which literally means "coming," "arrival," or "presence". This Greek word was a technical term used for the arrival of a king or of a god. In Christianity it’s used to refer to both the first arrival of Christ (his birth) and his prophesied Return at the End of Time.
His Second Coming starts with the Judgment of the sheep & goats recorded in Matt 25—that’s where Jesus gathers all people of all time and judges them (us) for how we treated him throughout our lives. The twist to this Judgment is that he actually evaluates how we treated others. In Matt 25:40 Jesus will say, “Truly I tell you, just as you [treated] one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.”
That scene will fade into the passage we read a couple weeks ago from Rev 21, where the New heaven comes down and is established on the New earth. In this picture of the Last Day, God himself walks among us and wipes away any tear from any eye. Death, pain and sorrow are abolished and we are at total peace within our selves, with God, with all other people, and nature. It’s a reversal of all that went wrong in Fall in the Garden of Eden.
This is the essence of our hope!
We know that Jesus came to us in Bethlehem so long ago. He lived among us and showed us what God is really like. He healed people, he hung out with people who most religious folks avoided. He loved the unlovable (both sinners and “saints”). He talked a lot about what God wants from us—and it’s both easier and harder than we imagined. Ultimately, he laid down his life so that we might gain eternal life. We’ll consider all of this through the rest of the church year as we read through the Gospel of Mark.
But before we get to all that, we pause to prepare ourselves.
Advent Peace be with you!
Pastor Derek
