“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14
Dear People of St. David’s,
I pray that you and yours are safe and well and that you had a magnificent Thanksgiving celebration. Quiet or raucous, I hope you were touched by the grace and presence of God as you gave thanks this past week.
This Sunday we begin a new Church year with the season of Advent. Advent is a season of anticipation, of looking forward to what is to come, a season of active waiting. For those of us who know the story of Jesus, Advent is a season of anticipation as we look forward to celebrating Jesus’ first coming with the celebration of Christmas, the promise that God is with us, and loves us.
Advent is also a season of looking forward to what is to come. We live in the hope that Christ will come again with grace, love, and mercy; that He will restore all of humanity and creation into God’s vision for the world. There will be judgment, but the God who suffered, died on the cross, and rose again is the same God who is coming to judge the living and the dead, as we say in the Creed. So, we look forward in the deepest of hope.
Finally, Advent is a time of active waiting. Waiting with purpose and with hope of God’s presence in our lives today and God’s promise to restore all things. Active waiting is not merely hanging around until something happens though. Like our son and daughter-in-law preparing for baby Hugh to come into the world this past week, all the preparations, activities, and praying that filled these past nine months, we are all called to actively wait for God’s appearing in our lives. We are called to an active waiting by taking time to pray so we can experience God with us. We are invited to open our Bible and read about the goodness of God and the life we are called to live. We are encouraged to actively wait by trying to involve God in all our daily lives by giving thanks and by seeking God’s guidance in things great and small.
Active waiting is one of the ways we open our hearts and lives to God. I hope and pray that all of us may practice this way of life during the season of Advent. If we will, we will be strengthened in the presence of God and grow in grace and a deeper trust in Him.
See you in Church.
Grace and Peace,
The Rev. W. Frank Allen
Rector