Settling into Advent

Next Sunday will be the first Sunday in Advent. "Advent" itself means coming, and, theoretically, at least, during the four weeks of this season our time is spent waiting and longing and expecting. But boy is it hard to wait. I took my kids to National Harbor earlier this week and they already have a mammoth, ball and star strewn Christmas tree hulking over the Awakening statue. Mount Vernon is bedecked for Christmas too. The people in that house on Collingwood with the incredible lights have been out staking up lights for weeks. The post-Thanksgiving sales in the malls have already started. How do we wait and long and expect when the world around us keeps pushing us ahead? There's a definite disconnect between the Church and the world all the time, but it's much more glaring than usual this time of year. Starting this Sunday and lasting throughout this season of Advent, we'll begin hearing stories about the Israelites waiting for the fulfillment of God's promise, John the Baptist preaching about preparing the way of the Lord, Mary and Elizabeth waiting for their children to be born. It's time for me to start thinking about how I can settle myself into Advent -- how to really let it wash over me - how to make my waiting holy, rather than anxious -- how to prepare myself for Christ's coming into the world.

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Gospel as Stand-Up Comedy

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Faith in Progress

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