Frantic or Focused?
By Pastor Rachel White
Pastor of Alpha and Lifegroups
Has it ever struck you how long the Christmas story took? I’m not even talking about how long before Christ was born that prophecies were given about his coming. I’m talking about how long Zechariah had to wait to get his voice back after he was struck mute, the waiting involved for Mary after she heard from angel Gabriel she would have a baby, the length of the journey for the wise men…
In the case of Zechariah and Mary, both had nine months to ponder and reflect upon the work of the Lord before the arrival of John and Jesus respectively. Growing a baby takes time! In my Advent reading this morning, it stood out to me that Mary took three whole months during her pregnancy to stay with Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. I can only imagine the conversations Mary and Elizabeth must have had in the midst of their waiting! By comparison, our Advent season where we intentionally “wait” on the Lord is very short.
And yet, we struggle even with one month of waiting! It’s hard this time of year to slow down and reflect! Hard to stay focused for any length of time on the true meaning of Christmas. Any waiting we do typically consists of frantic preparations for gift exchanges and family gatherings. We set out hoping for a Christmas filled with peace on earth and goodwill to men, but our life experience is often far from it.
I wonder, how do you keep Christ the center of your Christmas experience? What are your habits and disciplines that help you to slow down, reflect, and wonder once again at the joy of the Christmas story? I’d love to hear your ideas! I’ll admit, I still have a long way to go to patiently and peacefully wait upon the Lord at all times, all the way through the Advent season!
Two tools I’m finding helpful have been a daily Advent devotional and sharing an Advent candle lighting reading around the dinner table once a week with the family. I’ve particularly enjoyed this Advent devotional and the family Advent candle readings from this book.
I’d love to hear what you’ve found helpful. Do you have a favorite Advent devotional? Have you tried out any of the Advent resources on RightNow Media? What would you recommend to your church family? Why not share them on our Chapel Hill Facebook group!
Pastor Rachel