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“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
The hymn “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” opens with a prayer that feels like a sigh of the soul: “Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free.” These words capture the heartbeat of Advent. They remind us that this is not just a countdown to Christmas; rather, it is an invitation to rest in the promise of Christ’s coming and to find peace in the midst of our waiting.
But if we’re honest, the weeks leading up to Christmas rarely feel restful. Our calendars overflow, our to-do lists multiply, and our focus can easily drift from the sacred to the stressful. Advent is meant to be a season of holy anticipation, yet it often feels like a blur. Between decorating, shopping, planning, and preparing, we can easily miss the quiet miracle of waiting for Christ. Still, the hymn offers another way: a call to pause, breathe, and let the waiting itself become sacred. It’s less about filling our calendars and more about opening our hearts. Additionally, the season of Advent invites us to slow down, to pause long enough for the waiting itself to become holy. This is where true hope begins: not in rushing toward what’s next, but in trusting that Christ is already drawing near.
This practice of slowing down connects beautifully to our stewardship theme, “Called to Community.” We are not meant to journey through this season alone. The story of Christ’s birth is not one of solitary faith but of shared hope. From Mary and Elizabeth’s shared joy to the shepherds’ nighttime watch and the wise travelers’ long road together, the story of Christ’s birth is a story of people finding hope together. Advent reminds us that community is not a background detail, it is the very space where God’s presence and hope are revealed.
As a congregation, we are also entering a new season of our shared life as we welcome Dr. Sandy Hull as our new Transitional Pastor. What a gift that even in times of change, God continues to write our story through the strength of community and the steady promise of Emmanuel – God with us.
This Advent, may we slow down long enough to see the holy that is already here. May we make room not just for Christ’s coming, but for one another. And may our waiting draw us closer to the hope, peace, joy, and love that only Christ can bring. May we remember that the promise of Emmanuel, God with us, is not only a gift we wait for, but one that we already share in our life as Christ’s people.
Loving God, in this season of waiting, teach us to rest in You. Quiet the noise that fills our days and open our hearts to Your presence. Help us to see You in the faces of those around us and to walk this season together in faith, hope, joy, and love. Bless our community and guide us as we prepare for new beginnings and for the coming of Christ, our Savior and source of light and love. Draw us together as one community of faith, trusting that You are already at work among us. Amen.
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