Open our eyes

Advent starts today. Are you ready to get ready? G is on the computer next to me watching a count down clock to Christmas. We're waiting, and we're watching.

But what are we waiting for?

As a church family lit a candle today, they talked about this Sunday being the Advent Sunday for prophecy. Prophecy -- the forth-telling of God's word. It's sometimes prediction of the future, and sometimes it's just telling of truth, and the probable consequences of the present truth. Either way, it is the pronunciation of God's word.

What is the prophecy? What are we waiting for?

One of the lectionary readings for this week was from Jeremiah 33:14-16:

" 'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. " 'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.'

God, through Jeremiah, is offering hope to a people in unheaval. God is coming.

What are we waiting for? We wait on God. God is coming at Christmas. Jesus is coming again. Perhaps the news that we need to hear the loudest -- that will change the way we live -- is that God is coming today. He will be present in today's activities. He will be in the midst of everything we do -- everything we are.

We look forward to the coming of the kingdom when we begin Advent, but as Christians, we are assured that the kingdom of heaven is within us. The kingdom is now and not yet. Christ is coming when we don't expect him, and yet is coming right now, and we can count on that timing.

One of the members of our Sunday school class today said that "Faith gives us eyes to see God in everything around us." That's what we're waiting for -- we're waiting for our eyes to focus, so that we can see God.

Advent is the time to open our eyes and LOOK.

Notes:
Clip is from HermanoLeon Clipart
Good lectionary lesson by Beth Quick on Luke 21:25-26