Advent: Watching And Waiting

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. In the Christian church calendar, Advent is the “season” when we get ready for Christmas. In most Christian traditions, Advent has a dual meaning: we remember the first Christmas when Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the three kings awaited and rejoiced at the birth of Christ, while we also await and prepare for Jesus’ promised return.

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Last weekend our sermon focused on the waiting theme of Advent.

With my Type A personality, I am not very good at waiting. But with my iPhone, I don’t have to do much waiting. If I am stuck in a long line, if my flight is delayed, or if my friend is late, I can pass the time on email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. I can play games. I even read my books on my Kindle App. I don’t have to wait, I just do something else.

I generally think that this is a good thing, but the sermon made me wonder what I was missing out on by not waiting. These Bible words came to mind:

By keeping myself busy, I miss out on time that I might spend with my mind wandering, thinking, pondering and, yes, even praying.

I also realized that I am most guilty of being “busy” when I am worried. Staying busy helps me keep my mind off of my troubles, but by pushing things out of my mind, I also push them out of my prayers–or I forget to pray altogether.

During this Advent season, I am going to try to spend more time waiting, and watching and praying.

Prayer for the second week of Advent:

As we plan and make decisions, God be our way.
As we learn and ask questions, God be our truth.
As we grow and change, God be our life. Amen.

How do you pass the time when you are waiting?