December 1: Happy New Year

John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”*

The church calender traditionally begins in Advent, the time leading up to Christmas. So that makes, 30th of November, Christian New Years Eve, and today New Years Day!

Advent**: a coming into place, view or being; arrival
Jesus, at the appointed time, came into this world. He is the Prince of Peace, the point at which history turns; before hand people looked forward to a Messiah, not we look back at the Messiah coming into the world. The advent of coming into a place of peace, of coming into a different view of the world, of coming into being.

Advent: the coming of Christ into the world
You've heard the message before, the message of Jesus, you have an image of a little baby or a man on a cross. What does is mean that God came into the world? What does it mean that He became a man; was born, lived and died? So easily we can slip into routine and forget how amazing this is! I know that I often put God into a box, a set of ideas that I struggle to expand. God is my Friend, Comfort, and Saviour. I hope that this Advent period I will expand my understanding of Jesus, and not assume that I know everything already. Allow Him to surprise me, to be more than I give Him credit for.

Advent: the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.
Every Advent period my dad has an Advent Box, and each Sunday he brings out one item, and on the fourth Sunday he puts the four items together. The question is, what is in the box, and what does it all mean? Today he took out a toy lion.

(google image look-a-like)

It's hard not knowing everything, or understanding how things fit together, but that doesn't stop us enjoying what is around us or appreciating what we do know, it ought not to stop us from acting on what we already know. Maybe, the unknown actually helps us to expand our understanding as we allow for our box to expand. Like John the Baptist said, he is far greater than we are, and gives far better gifts, including the Holy Spirit!

Advent: the Second Coming; the coming of Christ on Judgement Day.
What does this coming year hold for you? Do you have any big plans? Or a whole bunch of small plans? Are you hoping to learn more, travel more, exercise more, socialise more, ask more, believe more, listen more, talk more? Are you going to look out for anything? Some times we make promises or set goals and then forget to keep an eye out for where we are up to. The waiting and looking forward to Jesus' second coming can be like that, we know Jesus promised to return, and return unannounced.*** So this year, starting this advent, why not join me in being ready and open for His return. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Happy New Year everyone! 


*Mark 1:7-8
**www.dictionary.com 'Advent'
*** Luke 12:35-48