Advent - Living a Life of Expectant Waiting

Advent

For years I’ve heard the word and yet I haven’t paid much attention to it. References to the “advent season” and the lighting of candles in December just seemed to be another holiday tradition that I never thought much about.

What does “advent” mean? When I looked up the definition, a new perspective stirred within me. “Advent” is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.” In particular, the words “expectant waiting” got my attention. Advent is about expectant waiting. The anticipated birth of Jesus was the first advent and was certainly one of expectant waiting. When the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, expectancy was birthed in the heart of the young peasant girl. Mary’s expectancy was birthed from a message from God. Expectancy flooded her thoughts and feelings with wonder, suspense and anticipation. God was giving His gift to the world and she was to be the gift wrapping for His present. Yet, simultaneously with the birth of expectancy a period of waiting was conceived.

Advent is about expectancy. Advent is about waiting. Advent is expectant waiting. Advent is about promise and hope. Advent is about anticipation and longing and yearning for what is to come. Can you remember as a child when you saw a gift with your name on it under the Christmas tree? Did you have a sense of expectant waiting? If you did, you were having an advent moment. That gift birthed expectation and yet left you in a state of waiting.

Experiencing the excitement of advent is not something that should just be experienced at Christmas. For Advent, (the idea of “expectant waiting”) is what I have often experienced as a follower of Christ. Every day is a day of advent, a day of expectant waiting. When the Spirit of Christ entered my life as a teenager a life of expectant waiting was born in me. Based on His promises, I am learning to expect more and more from Him as my merciful, gracious and loving father. While I am fully aware that I have done nothing to deserve my adoption of me as his son, I do expect Him to be there when I need him.

At the same time, the relationship I have with him now is not all there is. There is more. There is more to come and for this I must wait. I must live in expectant waiting. I live in advent moments everyday as I live in expectant waiting for what I know is still to come. For his coming again is like a gift under the Christmas tree that has my name on it; and one day I’ll get to open it and for that I expectantly wait.

Adventurer versus Tourist

I never like being a tourist when I travel. When I'm at an airport and I see a stream of people in line to board a sightseeing bus, I am so glad that I'm not one of them. The thought of being confined to a seat, and looking out the window for hours at a pre-determined course and listening to the same speech given to multitudes of people feels stifling and de-energizing.

My desire when I travel is to be an adventurer and not a tourist. I feel travel should have an element of excitement and discovery. As I relate this to my own life journey, it has caused me to question if I am approaching life as an adventurer or as a tourist. Am I engaging in life or watching life pass me by? Am I participating in life or watching others as they participate in life?

I don't believe God intended me to live out my life with a tourist mentality. I wasn't given life so that I could live passively observing life pass me by. I have asked myself lately, "What adventures am I living?" and "What are the most exciting adventures I'm involved". This sobered me as I realized I've allowed areas of my life have been relegated to a tourist mentiality, sitting on the sidelines watching the game of life being played without me.

The word "adventure" derives from the work "risk". Living life as an adventurer involves risks. When I think of risk, I think of faith and trust. To trust is risky. To trust God is risky. To trust God is adventuresome. So, my questioning continues more specifically..."What adventures am I experiencing at work?" "What adventures are taking place in my marriage, and in my parenting and in my friendships?" "What risks am I taking that is exciting in these areas of my life"?

This perspective has helped me this last week at work when I saw an opportunity to develop a new client relationship. Through a series of phone calls and email pursuits, I decided to pursue this possible client with a faith adventure attitude. Today, I took a risk. Today, I asked for an opportunity to do work for this prospective client. The relationship is not solid, but the response was encouraging.

Having a adventuresome attitude helped me in my marriage recently. Over the weekend, I did something that hurt my wife. She hurt me back. Later, we risked the possibility of further pain through a tense and emotional adventure. I didn't enjoy the interaction at the time, but I'm glad for it now. I did enter it with a sense of adventure and that helped me in taking some risks.

"Lord Jesus, your journey on this earth was certainly not a sight seeing trip. From the moment of conception, your life was an adventure. You engaged in life and I thank you for inviting me to journey with you in the adventure of life. Please lead me in many adventures today that will bring you glory and give me the grace to risk when I'm afraid and can't see the outcome".

"JOY is the most infallable sign of the presence of God" (Connie Lundstrom). When I'm not joyful to be around, it makes me wonder whose in my presence?

The question for the day is not am I growing stronger in the Lord, but is He growing stronger in me!

In one of the Gospel episodes it basically states, "They went in search of Jesus". Many in Jesus' day searched for him. Seems after a miracle or two, he was in high demand. Even his enemies searched for him.

I feel like I have been searching for him more lately. However, this search has taken a different path. I've been searching more for the "real Jesus". I say the "real Jesus" because I've had a deeper realization lately that perhaps I've allowed traditional views of Jesus blur the true nature of who he is.

One way this search has been pursued was by laying aside the particular Bible I've used for almost 30 years. (It is one of most most treasured possessions.) Yet in my desire to experience Christ in a new way, I've been reading a simple paperback Bible. I've mainly read the stories and teachings of Jesus, trying to think afresh what it is he is really trying to say and what he must be like. I've been making notes and writing thoughts.

One thing about Jesus that has particularly struck me is his unpredictability. In his day to day interactions, he oftentimes is unpredictable in what he does. I've seen how I like predictability in life. I've wanted to make Jesus predictable for life. This has often led me to be a Christ follower in a "static" manner vs a being a Christ follower in a "dynamic" way. Predictability can minimize trust in the "here and now". While Jesus does offer me certainty of purpose and eternity, I'm hoping I learn to trust Him more in the unpredictable adventure of everyday life.

What Questions Are You Asking

Voltaire once said, “Judge others by their questions rather than by their answers.” I’ve spent too much of my life giving others solutions to what I perceive is their problem. While I do believe God has used my words and my life in ways beyond what I’m aware of (and of which I feel humbled by) I have often and freely given others my opinions and quick solutions to their situations. I’m realizing that when I do this, it is driven by pride, arrogance and judgementalism. I have been quick to dispense solutions full of Bible references and not given enough focus on what the other person really needs from me at the moment. The roots of this practice stems from my story and from a behavior pattern that is pervasive in our evangelical Christian church in America.

In contrast to this, Jesus interacted with people differently. Especially when confronted with intense life issues, Jesus wasn’t quick to dispense long theological discourses intended to impress those around him. Often, Jesus just simply asked a question. Jesus use of questions often led others in discovering profound truths and life changing convictions. This has led me to ask myself, “What questions am I asking”?

Consider the real life story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8. This reveals how Jesus patiently sat in the messiness of that tense scene and responded on what was really needed. Emotions of hate and contempt were heavier than any of the rocks being gripped in the hands of her intended executioners. Wouldn’t this be a great time for Jesus to stand and deliver a wonderful treatise on forgiveness? I’m sure His eloquence and knowledge of the Scriptures would leave them awestruck. Wouldn’t his teaching, fully supported and referenced from other Scripture be fodder for many books and sermons?

Yet, Jesus didn’t rush in with solutions. While all the bulging, rage filled eyes were waiting for his cue to cast, he bends down and fingers the sand. He stooped. Let me say that again. He stooped! I’ve thought about what my reaction would have been in that situation. I don’t think I would stoop, for that would be to lower myself. I would want to “elevate”. I would feel the need to get control of the situation. This situation seems out of control and therefore (from my story) I must contain it. What do you think the woman felt when she saw Jesus stooping and touching the dirt with his fingers? Do you think the woman felt how Jesus lowered himself below her level? Do you think she felt intrigued by this man and his actions as it seemed he held her fate in his hands? If you were this woman how do you think that would have felt? What did she see in his eyes? What did she feel in his body language? Perhaps putting his finger in the dirt, let her know that he’s used to touching things that feel dirty.

The haranguing questions from the crowd continued to press Jesus for action, for his consent to proceed on the stoning. The question was not on just asking Jesus on what they should do; the question they were posing was whether or not he (Jesus) was going to obey the Bible! The Bible was very clear, black and white on this issue on what should be done. Jesus finally discontinued his dirt drawing and stood up to deliver his answer. His sermon contained 19 words and even reading it slowly only takes about 8 seconds. Then he stooped again and got his hands dirty.
In reality, Jesus message was not only the sermon, but included the invitation. This response to this invitation was different than any you’ve seen in church. No one came forward. The caustic clamoring of the crowd was silenced. The only sound was the free fall of rocks to coincide with the hearts that knew too well of their own fallen nature. It’s not insignificant to note as well, that it was the older ones in the crowd that more quickly understood and “got it”.

With only Jesus and the woman left, it certainly seems the time for him to really share with her the good news of the gospel. I know I would have a lot to tell her. Yet, Jesus packs the power of a life giving message with the power of his presence and one simple question.

10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
It is here that Jesus “straightens” up. Now that he disarmed a mob by stooping and making an 8 second statement, now she experiences a man forthrightly addressing her with two simple questions. Is he asking the questions because he doesn’t know the answer? Of course not. He knows the murderous mob has left. He knows no one condemns her. So why would Jesus ask those questions. Could it be that he wants her to feel and experience the full truth of the answers? What was it like for her to say those words (“No one, Sir”) from her own mouth in the presence of a safe man? Do you think she said those words with her head hung low or with direct eye contact with Jesus? Do you think she experienced her precious dignity in the middle of her messy depravity?

So, What Questions are you asking?

My prayer: “Lord Jesus, know I have tried to take your place in being the solution to the needs of other people. I grieve that I’ve often been more interested in sharing my opinions than what my friend or family member needs. Please give me grace to really be curious and care about the needs on those I interact with. Teach me to ask good questions so that I can better understand others and so that I can help stimulate them in their pursuit of you.”

And this was not "Good"

At every phase of creation, God said "...and it was good." When he created the earth and the sky, and God said "it was good". When he created the stars and the sun and the moon, he said "it was good". When he created the animals and the vegetation, he said "it was good". But when he created man and man was without companionship of another human being, God said "it is not good...". "Aloneness" is not good. God is not saying that being alone is not good. What he is saying is that not having companionship is not good. Companionship is man's basic need and it is not good when we are not experiencing companionship.