One of the Tindle family traditions is the Advent calendar.  Beginning on December 1^st, we open a different “window” in the calendar each day leading up to Christmas.  Okay, sometimes the windows are simply the portal to the hidden candy if I’m completely honest.  So what’s up with the Advent calendars anyway?

The advent calendars help us anticipate the celebration of the arrival of God’s gift.  Advent is a Latin word that means “arrival.”  The advent season has been celebrated in the church from the earliest times to remind us of the arrival of Christ at Bethlehem, AND the anticipated arrival of Christ that he promised when he left his disciples after his resurrection.  Two arrivals.  Two advents.

You’re probably looking forward to Christmas.  And rightly so.  It’s a celebration of Christ’s first advent.  Shepherds, carols, baby, lowing cattle…it’s all good.  But are you also looking forward to his second advent?  Maybe this December we could keep both advents in mind.  Maybe the way we celebrate the first advent can be shaped by the expectation of the second advent.  How would your Christmas preparations be different if you truly believed that Jesus was returning to our planet next year?  Would that change your Christmas celebration?  Would it change anything else?  Why not try to live this December in light of that.  Why not try to live this whole next year in light of that.  Let the advent-ure begin.  (Sorry…couldn’t resist that one.)

-Pastor Mark