this sunday marks the beginning of advent. for years now, i've wanted to observe advent, but i always seem to miss it. Robert Weber's book, Ancient-Future Time talks about the usual preparation activities of fall, getting ready for all that winter will bring, then he goes on,
"But where is God in all of this? The danger we all face as we prepare for the future, whether it is for our fall activities or something else, is the tendency to be indifferent to the presence of God in our plans. We participate in that humanistic spirit prevalent in our Western world, a spirit that often expresses itself in the way we plan for the future. When we think we can do things on our own, we act as though we have little or no need of God. Then we become self-confident, begin to believe in ourselves, and think ourselves to be invincible...Advent is a time when God breaks in on us with new surprises and touches us wiht a renewing and restoring power."
advent is all about waiting. Israel waiting for a Savior. us waiting for the second coming of that Savior. Webber goes on to say,
"Advent is always needed when we, the people of God, separate our lives in the world from the true meaning of worship. Worship celebrates God for us and works within us to be servants to others and to the world. when we go about our lives striving for power, success, and wealth and seek things for ourselves and yet attend worship, listen to the Word, and take bread and wine into our stomachs, we ar no better than dead Israel. God cannot be in our worship because God is not in our lives. Our worship becomes mechanical, dull, dreary, and rote. Our lives drift further and further away from God and from his will, and the sense of God's absence becomes more and more acute....Advent is a time to cry, "O God, turn me away from my indifference, creat in me a heart of repentance, and lead me to the waters of spiritual refreshment."
given my own ability to think myself self-confident, i need all that i can get in the way of God breaking into my life to remind me that i am nothing without him.
i am nothing without him.
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