Advent Message:​​​​​​​

Waiting is hard...

Ask any expectant mother and they will likely say 'I can't wait to meet my little girl or boy', or as a friend referred to her baby as 'cashew' because she didn't want to know the sex of her baby. It is a season of anticipation and expectation. Not only does a woman's body change to prepare for the child to grow and give birth, but the woman begins to prepare for the baby's arrival at home. Diapers, onesies, and a crib are only a few things that cross their mind as they prepare for baby's arrival.   The anticipation grows as the due date draws closer.  Finally, the day arrives. The baby arrives, and the woman's life is forever changed.  ​

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 ​Adventus is a Latin word that means 'waiting',  where we get the word Advent.​ While the world screams 'Christmas has arrived!', we wait. We prepare ourselves for the Incarnation, the Christ child. 

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I can't help but wonder how Mary felt when she was told that she would carry and give birth to the Son of God. Surely, she must have had all the excitement as any expectant mother. I also wonder how she prepared her heart for the long awaited Messiah, for whom the Israelites longed.  

For those who are familiar with this story, know that her pregnancy wasn't easy, and her planning for the birth was a far cry from what she might have hoped.  Instead of a peaceful pregnancy, she faced possible stoning, social isolation, traveling a good distance on a donkey while fully pregnant, while battling the elements and wilderness, and finally giving birth, with only her husband to help. Yet the moment when Christ entered our realm, not only her life but our lives were forever changed. 

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Adventus... Waiting...  In the midst of the hustle and bustle of baking, decorating, planning, and/or shopping, how are you preparing your heart to receive Jesus this year? In what ways might you need to prepare yourself  to fully receive His Grace and Love in this season? Waiting for Jesus isn't passive but active.  An expectant mother doesn't wait passively. Things need to be prepared. In this season of Advent we are preparing our heart, mind, and spirit to fully receive the love that comes down at Christmas. What do we need to let go of to make room for Jesus?

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May this season of Advent bless you, as you wait for Jesus, the Son of God.

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​​​In Christ's Service,

Rev. Elizabeth Sipos​​​​​​​​​​

Incumbent