This Sunday we begin our Advent journey toward Christmas!  So here’s a question to start us off:  Do you know what the opposite of Advent is?

Advent, religiously or otherwise, means the beginning or the start of something.  For us, it means the beginning of a new world with the coming birth of Christ.  For Christians, then, it is a season of anticipation.

The opposite of Advent, religiously or otherwise, is an ending, a conclusion, or a demise.

This year, some may have difficulty getting into the spirit of anticipating something good coming our way.  There is a lot of apprehension floating around that can hamper the spirit of Advent and squash our ability to prepare for the start of something new, exciting, and overwhelmingly good. 

If that is you, if you feel yourself more in a spirit of endings, conclusions, and demise, I sincerely hope you will come to worship this Advent season.  It’s a really important time of year and you shouldn’t miss it!  You shouldn’t miss the opportunity to recover what Advent has to offer: the ability to fill your heart and your spirit with Good News.

The world can be a tough place.  Our lives can face tough circumstances.  That’s why we need Advent and it’s coming at just the right time.  In the face of challenges and uncertainty, we all need a season of light, carols, and the promise of a better tomorrow.  That’s what God offers us and that’s what Christ’s birth brings to our world and to our lives.  

So don’t miss out!  There is joy, abundance, energy, and assurance in full supply at our church during this holy time of year.  The traditions of Advent and Christmas have been around for thousands of years and will both ground us and launch us into a new year of hope and promise.

See you in church,

–Rev. Dominic