Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/78

Contributor - Lroy A. Sandee

Title - Planning for Advent

Topic - Advent

"In the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord"

"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 40: 3a and 5)

You better believe it, it is time to think about some Christmas planning. We don't have to remind you about Christmas shopping because the carefully measured impact of commercial interests are taking care of that. But in this wilderness of materialism and pleasure-seeking, we feel we ought to seriously prepare for a joyous and meaningful Christmas. We would like to think that the Advent Season is a unique opportunity for revealing the glory of God through the witness of the Christian who rejoices in God's Gift of His Son.

Isaiah was sent with blessed words of comfort to God's people. "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God." About five hundred years before the birth of Christ there were people of God in Babylon dreaming of the restoration of the glory of Jerusalem. Then they saw the glory of God revealed as He leveled mountains of red tape, as He relocated His remnant, and He enabled the homeland of the Jews to be rebuilt. What else but that this should happen "the mouth of the Lord HAS spoken."

Time passes five hundred long years of wilderness history of the Jewish nation. John the Baptist comes out of the Judean hills crying, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." They asked, "Who are you?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord', as the prophet Isaiah said." It was John's high privilege to call out to the people of God, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Christmas celebrates God's keeping of His greatest promise, a Saviour.

Christ is coming again. While He delays we are to be about the task of preparing for that glorious day by evangelizing the world. Each Advent Season presents its special opportunity for filling the Christmas holiday with Christian content. There is a "wilderness" of pagan holiday joy and commercialism which saddens the warm Christian year after year. "Put Christ back into Christmas" is the cry we have heard for decades. Right now in this year we still have time to search our hearts and our habits for specific ways in which we may be a channel through which "the glory of the Lord shall be revealed." Should we not capitalize on the amazing fact that there is a national celebration of the birth of Christ when the beautiful Christmas carols dominate the music that is heard and hearts are sensitive to a "christmas spirit" - - whatever they mean by it.

Your church is undoubtedly well on the road in the Advent planning. The Christmas Program Committee has been appointed. There will be a committee to decorate the church. Your pastor has Advent in his preaching plans. The choir has Advent music lined up. Perhaps you will have a special project as a church gift to Christ on His birthday celebration. The Sunday School may have a special Advent love offering for some mission project. "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed."

What might a Christian be planning personally for a Cbrist-glorifying Christmas? To begin with, we can anticipate a joyous Advent Season; joyous because it will help us to focus on the glorious love of God in the giving of Christ the Saviour. We can pray for the blessing of an overflowing gratitude for God's marvelous grace so that we cry out often during the weeks ahead as Paul did, "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift." Then we can also anticipate that our family life during Advent will be a sharing together of the real meaning of this bustling season. Our children will be helped to keep in perspective the "wish book" and the "Good News" Book. As a final suggestion let our Christmas greetings be a positive witness to the Christ whose birth is being celebrated. Choose with care the messages you will be sending out. Christmas greeting cards that say nothing of the real meaning of Christmas are for those who want to say nothing of Christ. For us let Christ be given the glory, not Santa Claus.

Yes, we will soon be in the wilderness of the Christmas rush. Let these words be God's comfort for an enriching Advent Season. "In the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord... and the glory of the Lord SHALL be revealed... for the mouth of the Lord HAS spoken."

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