Advent 1: Waiting

Scripture: 

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)

Song: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Advent is a season of waiting, of expectation, of longing and hoping.

In many ways, it is a painful season: a realisation of prayers unanswered, of plans gone wrong, of hopes unfulfilled, of waiting for what hasn't happened yet.

This year, Advent feels more poignant than ever. We are all waiting. We are all longing for life to be different to what is it now. We are waiting for an end to lockdown. Waiting for a vaccine. Waiting to hug loved ones. Waiting for financial stability.

In the story of the Bible, there is a lot of waiting. There is this awkward, painful pause between the Old and New Testaments where God’s people are left waiting. Waiting to see if God really will keep his promises to them. Waiting to see if the One promised by the prophets will ever finally come. Waiting to see if God is really there or if He’s forgotten about them.

For those who follow Jesus, Advent is the season in which we remember that Jesus is the One we waited for. He is the One that all of history waited for. The hope of humanity is met in Him.

This year, The Church of England is focusing its Christmas message on the words from a rather obscure hymn: “God rest ye merry gentlemen.” It rarely makes the cut for carol services, but the refrain of the chorus is a powerful reminder of what it is that we celebrate at Christmas time: “Good tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, good tidings of comfort and joy.” 

Comfort and joy. Was there ever a time when such things were more needed?

And yet, Jesus is the bringer of both. The tidings that accompany his birth are full of comfort and joy. 

To accompany our Advent Series at Christ Church, each weekday during Advent I’m going to write a short reflection on the object of these good tidings: Jesus, the Waited-For One, the One in whom “the hopes and fears of all the years are met."