Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The other day Kathy George called to find out when I would have my newsletter article ready. I had been so overloaded with all kinds of things required of me as pastor that I hadn't yet found the time to write it.
I looked at my calendar and told her that I thought I could do it today. I had about two hours without anything scheduled.
This morning, after several phone calls put me behind in my hectic schedule, I realized that I didn't even have two hours. I quickly looked through some old articles I wrote during Advent years ago.
I found one that was perfect. Perfect for Advent, perfect for my situation, and perfect for every person who finds that their hectic pace of life always seems to be going faster and faster, driving them crazy. The message is one that we really need to hear and heed. It is based on an Advent reflection which I read back in 1997.
In this reflection by Gertrude Mueller Nelson we are told of pre-Christian people in the far north who worshiped the Sun-God. During the long darkness of their winters they stopped everything, even took the wheels off of their carts, brought them inside, and waited in prayer, preparing for the light of the sun to replace the darkness. Upon its return there was great celebration.
The author pointed out how we too must have the courage to stop, to stop, everything for a time, and wait for the Lord our God to come. This is true for all seasons but it is especially fitting for the season of Advent which is about waiting and preparing ourselves for the Lord's coming. During Advent we prepare for the celebration at His first coming at Christmas, for His coming into our lives now, in the present, and for His final coming at the end of time. But with all the "busyness" of our daily lives in the way, how can we prepare without stopping? The author rather humorously makes a suggestion. She suggests that what we could do is just what these pre-Christian northerners did. All of us could take a tire off of our car and take it inside. That would stop us! We could even turn it into an Advent wreath! Then we could really wait and pray, preparing ourselves for the Lord Jesus, for the peace, joy , and love that He brings into our lives when He comes. After Christmas, of course, we would put our tires back on our cars, our lives now renewed and refreshed. Through this experience, hopefully, we would then realize and acknowledge the priceless blessings that come from stopping everything and inviting the Lord into our lives. We may even begin to do this more regularly throughout the year. No longer would our daily prayer time and Sunday worship seem to be just one more thing that has to be done. Instead these times, of stopping and inviting the Lord in, would become the most valued pieces of time in our lives, not just time well spent, but time best spent. For without this stopping for the Lord we have nothing of His inside to share with our family members, friends, co-workers, community, or with the world as a whole. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Without stopping for Him, we certainly have no peace inside to share.
It is Advent and we certainly are not going to take a tire off of our cars. But we must not give in to the pressure from our consumer oriented (driven) society to make this an even more hectic, frantic season-shutting the Lord out even more. We must learn to do just the opposite.
Advent is about stopping - stopping and taking time - waiting for Him and preparing our hearts to welcome Him. In this pause from our otherwise busy lives we pray - "Come Lord Jesus, fill our hearts with your Peace".