For All the Saints –Thursday, November 26, 2020: Advent Anticipation
Friends,
This week, just as we finish off our Thanksgiving turkey, we begin the season of Advent. From the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “arrival,” Advent is the season in which we prepare for the coming of the Lord. We look forward to the second coming of Christ, anticipating his glorious return. And we look back at the first coming of Christ, with anticipation of the Christmas Season.
It is a season of anticipation, which also means that it is a season of waiting. I find it appropriate that the rhythm of our church year includes a season of anticipatory waiting, as we spend much of our lives waiting. We wait in lines, wait at the doctor’s office, wait for the digital download to complete, wait for our break, wait for our paycheck, etc. And we wait for each other.
Sometimes waiting can be a stressful and irritating experience, holding us back from completing our accomplishments for the day. Sometimes waiting can be fearful, as we wait for lab results, or wait for our grades to be posted. But sometimes waiting can be a blessed gift from God. One of the most famous Scripture passages about waiting is found in Isaiah 40:28-31:
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
God is everlasting. He does not grow weary. Our strength comes from him. As we wait upon him, which is the discipline of Advent, our strength is renewed. During this Advent season, may God redeem your waiting, filling it with his holy presence. As you reflect upon the birth of Jesus Christ that we will celebrate in less than a month, may you be prepared for the same Jesus to come again soon in glory.
God bless,
Pastor John
Daily Scripture Readings for November 26 – December 24
Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day)
Zechariah 13:1-9
Revelation 14:6-13
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Friday, November 27
Zechariah 14:1-9
1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Saturday, November 28
Micah 2:1-13
Matthew 24:15-31
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Sunday, November 29 – Advent 1
Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
Monday, November 30
Micah 4:1-5
Revelation 15:1-8
Psalm 79
Tuesday, December 1
Micah 4:6-13
Revelation 18:1-10
Psalm 79
Wednesday, December 2
Micah 5:1-5a
Luke 21:34-38
Psalm 79
Thursday, December 3
Hosea 6:1-6
1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Friday, December 4
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Acts 11:19-26
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Saturday, December 5
Ezekiel 36:24-28
Mark 11:27-33
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Sunday, December 6 – Advent 2
Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8
Monday, December 7
Isaiah 26:7-15
Acts 2:37-42
Psalm 27
Tuesday, December 8
Isaiah 4:2-6
Acts 11:1-18
Psalm 27
Wednesday, December 9
Malachi 2:10-3:1
Luke 1:5-17
Psalm 27
Thursday, December 10
Habakkuk 2:1-5
Philippians 3:7-11
Psalm 126
Friday, December 11
Habakkuk 3:2-6
Philippians 3:12-16
Psalm 126
Saturday, December 12
Habakkuk 3:13-19
Matthew 21:28-32
Psalm 126
Sunday, December 13 – Advent 3
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Monday, December 14
1 Kings 18:1-18
Ephesians 6:10-17
Psalm 125
Tuesday, December 15
2 Kings 2:9-22
Acts 3:17 – 4:4
Psalm 125
Wednesday, December 16
Malachi 3:16 – 4:6
Mark 9:9-13
Psalm 125
Thursday, December 17
2 Samuel 6:1-11
Hebrews 1:1-4
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
Friday, December 18
2 Samuel 6:12-19
Hebrews 1:5-14
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
Saturday, December 19
Judges 13:2-24
John 7:40-52
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
Sunday, December 20 – Advent 4
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38
Monday, December 21
Luke 1:46b-55
1 Samuel 1:1-18
Hebrews 9:1-14
Tuesday, December 22
Zephaniah 3:8-13
Romans 10:5-13
Psalm 96
Wednesday, December 23
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Romans 13:11-14
Psalm 96
Thursday, December 24 – Christmas Eve
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20