Welcome to the Waiting

Do you ever feel like you’re always waiting for something?

Perhaps you’re waiting in line.

Maybe you’re waiting in traffic.

You could be waiting for your big break or your next professional opportunity.

Maybe you’re waiting to find love — be that romantic or simply friendship.

Maybe you’re waiting for something meaningful in your life — some kind of realization of your purpose — or an acceptance of what you believe — or a community of people with whom you can be honest and authentic, where you can talk about all your questions and the dilemmas and challenges you face in your life.

Sometimes, we feel like we’re always waiting.

Today is the first day of Advent — a season of waiting. In the ancient Christian tradition, it’s a season awaiting the birth of Jesus.

My family doesn’t have a formal connection to an official religious body or organization. Those in the Christian tradition would say we don’t have a formal connection to “the church.” I believe, however, that the church, the community of people seeking to follow the tradition and teaching of Jesus, is much more fluid, diverse, and embedded within our reality than most realize. We participate as part of the church in a myriad of manners.

I often find myself waiting for more people to realize the breadth and beauty of the church.

With a desire to continue to grow in our awareness of God and committed to a life following the tradition and teaching of Jesus, I embrace the season of Advent. My family shared a time of reading and prayer this evening guided by The Revised Common Lectionary provided by the Divinity School of Vanderbilt University and a resource from Loyola Press. As a means of welcome to the waiting season on this First Sunday of Advent, I am sharing below a few highlights from our reading and prayer:

From the book of Jeremiah in the Hebraic scripture:

I will fulfill the promise I made to (you), says the LORD.

From Psalm 25:

All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness.

From the first letter written by the Apostle Paul to the people in ancient Thessalonica::

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.

From a prayer:

Give us ears to hear, O God,
and eyes to watch,
that we may know your presence in our midst
during this holy season of joy
as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Welcome to the waiting.