Hello ICC Family!
Advent has almost become synonymous with waiting during the Christmas season. For many, including myself for the first few decades of my life, the word is only used in conjunction with calendars that you buy for the month of December that allow you to count down the days until Christmas. When I was a child these calendars were fairly simple - made out of paper and including a verse or picture behind a window that you opened on the calendar corresponding to the date. But over the years they got a little fancier… I remember one year having an advent calendar where each day had a chocolate behind the window, so my brother and I would fight about whose turn it was to get to eat the chocolate. Now… my goodness, you can spend A LOT of money on advent calendars. They are not just for children any more! How about a $1200 Swarovski crystal advent calendar? Or an $800 Wedgewood porcelain ornament calendar? There are advent calendars with toys, coffee, cheese, even wine!
To some degree, these calendars can be fun, especially building up the anticipation of the holidays with kids. But we must be careful to clearly voice what it is we are waiting for! Are we waiting for the time we get to open presents? Waiting for the opportunity to be with family and friends and enjoy a big Christmas meal? Or are we actually waiting for something much more important and eternal? What exactly are we waiting for?
It’s not really fair to leave you hanging with that question, but it really seems like a wasted opportunity to not make you wait at least a little while for the answer. And that answer will be what we are discussing throughout the month of December each Sunday and Wednesday. I do hope you will join us!
Praying for all of you!
Pastor Aaron
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