Reflections from our church family this Advent.
Follow the whole series here.
Expectant
I waited patiently and expectantly for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
Henri Nouwen said “Active waiting is waiting that pays attention, is fully present to what is really going on even when to all outward appearances nothing is going on”
Advent is a season of waiting in a posture of prayerful attention. It’s often when we get silent that we can finally begin to trace God’s movement in our lives.
In Luke 1, we read about Zachariah — John the Baptist’s dad — and how after years of waiting it was his ‘once in a lifetime turn to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense’.
All of a sudden an angel appeared with the announcement, “don’t be afraid your prayers have been heard!”
Zachariah, in his years of waiting, even though he faced disappointment and discouragement, he never stopped praying, waiting expectantly for the Lord.
Prayer
Father, thank you that you always listen. On this busy Saturday building up to Christmas, I choose to be silent and still to pay attention to what you want to say to me, what you might want to show me.
Amen