Tis' the Advent Season

   Joyful hearts I hope thee haveth, as thee sings thy Lord is cometh!  (That's my own attempt at old English Christmas greeting!)
   Lately, I have heard a lot about the Advent Season and how truly important it is.  Now, I have always known that Advent is a special season and that it is a time to prepare oneself for the coming of the Lord.  However, I haven't really thought about it as a "lost art" or as "needed now more than ever".  However, that's the type of stuff I have been hearing lately.  I heard it in a sermon, I have seen it in pastor's Facebook statuses, and I heard it in an interview.  Then the more I thought about it, the more I realized maybe they are all right.  Maybe it really has become a lost art.  Maybe it is needed now more than ever.  So I challenge you to wrestle with this.  What does Advent mean to you?  Is it a meaningful season for you, or simply one more time of the year you go through the motions?  Do you really "prepare" yourself during this time, or do you just go to church one more time a week?  Is the season of Advent leading up to Christmas really an important thing, or are you just simply waiting for the 25th without any thought?

     After you have wrestled with these questions and really thought about it for yourself, then feel free to watch this interview.  Pastor Wayne Miller is a class mate of mine from St. Louis and really a dear friend.  We were both amazed at how for the first two years of seminary together, we really were not that close.  We knew each other and talked, but weren't like good friends.  However, fourth year we began to spend a lot more time together, normally over a cocktail, and really grew to be close friends.  Anyway, I thought he did an awesome job of explaining what Advent is and why we need it.  Plus if you knew Wayne and just the type of character he is, this video would be even better for you.  Nevertheless, I think it is well worth your time.

Faith Time with Pastor Miller