Church newsletter pastoral column for St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa, for December, 2019.
Advent Waiting
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
– 1 Corinthians 13:12
Waiting is hard. As a child, I remember lying awake in bed on Christmas morning knowing there would be presents waiting outside my bedroom in the stockings hanging by the chimney. Our family tradition was to open our stockings together, so I had to wait until everyone else was awake. Later, when we opened presents, our family always went one at a time, in order by age, and sometimes it was difficult to find the patience to wait your turn!
When you know something good is coming, waiting can be difficult! Perhaps that’s a little of why the Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier each year. It’s so tempting to jump ahead to the good stuff, to the family togetherness, to the carols, to the presents, to the worship.
Waiting is sacred. If waiting for good things is often challenging, waiting for something bad is even more difficult. As a pastor, I have the privilege of gathering with families around a bedside as they wait for a loved one to breathe their last breath. When life’s end is very near, there is a palpable tension in the room after each exhalation as everyone leans in, waiting to see if there will be another inhalation.
Waiting with a person for the conclusion of their earthly journey is a holy task. The space between the physical and spiritual worlds can feel very thin indeed. Faith sustains us through the waiting.
Waiting is important. The church year begins with the season of Advent, a season of waiting and watching. It’s a season of expectantly hoping for God to act. It’s not, however, entirely focused on Christmas. Of course Advent builds up to the joyful proclamation of Jesus’ birth, but Advent’s theme is also about waiting and hoping for Christ’s return in glory. Many of our readings in worship this month focus on the end of the world, and the promise of God’s kingdom fully realized at last.
Waiting involves slowing down and observing the world around us. We have the chance to see how this world is and is not yet like the kingdom God is building. In this season of busyness, pause and notice the world. Breathe. Notice what it feels like to wait, rather than jumping ahead to the Christmas celebrations.
Waiting is personal. I’m experiencing the season of Advent in a new way this year as Christin and I wait for the birth of our firstborn son. As I assume all of you who are already parents can understand, we’re living in this strange in-between space right now. There’s a feeling of being in limbo. All the usual tasks and routines of life remain the same, yet everything has a sense of being temporary. We know what to expect, and yet at the same time, we know so much of our lives will soon be different, in ways we cannot possibly comprehend.
As Christians, we know the peace that comes from Jesus. We know the promises of faith and of eternal life. And yet, everything we know of God and of God’s kingdom is filtered through the realities of this life. When our waiting is complete, we will know God in a new way, for we will be directly in the presence of our loving Creator for all eternity. It will be well worth the wait!
Welcome to Advent. May God be with you in the waiting.
Pastor Daniel Flucke