The Weary World…
For children, the season of Christmas is magical: twinkling lights, special songs, and gifts under the tree. Even at a young age, children can feel the power of expectation in the season. Regardless of Christmas lists and the promise of a visit from Saint Nick, children can feel that something is coming – something special, something to be celebrated.
While the season is full of magic for the kiddos, for adults, the season can easily become about making the magic. The lights need to be hung, the gifts need to be bought and wrapped, and the special treats need to be made. For some of us, the “magic” of the Christmas season gets lost in the shuffle of expectation. But despite all the hustle and bustle, even adults can feel something around Christmas: Something is coming. There’s an inexplicable warmth that comes from this expectation – of time with family and friends, of seeing your people open their gifts, of eating your favorite Christmas treats.
When the early church was creating the calendar of holy days, this idea of expectation was not lost on them. They landed on calling this season (the four weeks leading up to Christmas) Advent. The word advent means “coming.” For the people involved in the story of the First Christmas, advent literally meant the coming of a baby, but it also meant something much deeper to the people called “Israel.”
John 1:14 (NIV)
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
A Thrill of Hope
My favorite Christmas Carol is O Holy Night. There’s a depth to it – a reverence that you just can’t finagle out of Jingle Bells. Take a look:
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
The state of the world before Jesus was born was one of weariness. The people of God were weary. In the Old Testament, God had given word after word, prophecy after prophecy, about this messiah who would come to their rescue. Someone who would see their plight, take up their cause, and give them the one thing their hearts desired more than anything: a thrill of hope.
So what is hope?
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
To have hope means that you trust and believe that the current state of things is not the final state of things. For followers of Jesus, we know the end of the story. We know that God comes out on top. We can trust in the fact that, eventually, we win. We have the promise of victory. And yet, the day-to-day grind, the weariness of this world, can bog down this message of hope. Even in knowing the outcome, it’s hard to see how the weariness of this world can become something victorious.
Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
You see, the story is not over. The culmination of God’s kingdom did not occur with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Christ’s death on the cross changed our story forever, and yet God’s story is still happening, and we are a part of it. We each have a role – a part in the story that is still being written.
This season is not just about the coming of Jesus. It’s also about the process of becoming. Each person in the Christmas story had a journey to take – they started the story as one thing, and became something else through the transformative powers of faith, hope, and love. As we look back at the original Christmas story, we can also look forward. In this season of becoming:
We feel the groaning of this world as it is becoming darker.
We feel the weight of people’s hearts as they are becoming weary.
And yet:
We see the light of the Church as it is becoming brighter.
Our story is not done. Just like the people in the story of Christ’s birth, we are becoming something else as we dive into the scripture, live in community with other believers, and continually surrender to Jesus.
So, who are you becoming?
Becoming generous
Weekly Family Activity - The Weary World
Each week of this Advent season your family has an opportunity to grow in its generosity.
This week, gather your family together and think of the neighbors around your home. How might they be weary right now? Write a few words of peace and encouragement for them as they enter into the Christmas season. Finally, leave these notes on your neighbors’ porches.
To follow along with this study, mark your calendars for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in these weeks leading up to Christmas. Each post will be hosted here. If what you’re learning is meaningful to you, click one of the share buttons at the top of these posts to invite more people on this journey of becoming.
We also invite you to spend Sunday mornings with us to hear what the pastors have to share with us during this season. Services start at 9:30 and 11:15am each week. See you there!
Weekly Reading - Dec 2-6
Monday Isaiah 9:2-7
Tuesday John 1:1-19
Wednesday Mark 1:1-3
Thursday Isaiah 40:1-11
Friday Luke 1:5-25