December 1, 2008
Yesterday I greeted those worshipping with those simple words. Some may have thought it sounded crazy, but that’s just Pastor Dave. Other’s knew that Advent does begin a new church year.
I like to celebrate Advent and recognize it as a new beginning in time, time being an important understanding. We live in time, in this time of 2008. But this time we live in has been given more depth and meaning because of times before. And so we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, special days - including Holy Days and Holy Seasons. This is the regular rhythm of life we call a year.
Why is this important? It’s important to me to know there is depth to my faith. I am enriched on a cyclical basis and I am blessed to remember. And in our remembering we have opportunities to share with one another and with our family and friends stories that have significantly shaped who we are becoming.
It’s also important to me to know our faith community has a past, and not one simply rooted in the last decade, but one that is founded at the beginning of time by a God who knew us then and places us in this time for a special purpose.
Time is something we often try to avoid, because there are things about getting older that are unpleasant. It is also a blessing and something we all still look forward to embrace. How else could we look forward to something called Christmas for so many years. All we celebrate is a baby born in a cattle feeding trough in a stable in a little insignificant town over two thousand years ago.
Yet, even though society tries to keep this time totally in the nations secular lives, we still end of thinking about that seemingly insignificant birth so long ago. Why? Time has taught us that is was not so insignificant. It was, it is and it always will be God’s love coming into our time. That is the hope of the world, and that is what we will celebrate in just a few short weeks, but also for years to come.
So Happy New Year!
Great blog Pastor Dave!