what do you see and hear?

This past Sunday I was craving some good ‘ol Advent worship liturgy on Rose Rejoicing Sunday. Since my primary worship gathering with my church family is on Sunday evenings, I have enjoyed exploring other worship traditions on Sunday mornings every now and then. This Sunday I attended All Saints Anglican Church here in Long Beach. The worship and liturgy was refreshing and just what I was yearning for this pink candle week of Advent. The worship was a meaningful and thoughtful weaving of singing, Scripture reading, corporate prayer, and communion.

The pastor’s message was from Matthew 11:2-11, one of the scriptures for week three of Advent from the Revised Common Lectionary (www.crivoice.org/lectionary/YearA/Aadventlist.html). John the Baptist is in prison and sends his disciples to ask Jesus if he is the one they have waited for. Jesus responds by saying, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the def hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

A great passage to listen to and contemplate! The pastor’s message focused on the hearing and seeing of the Kingdom of God. It caused me to consider what signs of the Kingdom I see and hear this Advent? And how am I an active participant of that evidence and good news today?

The other thing I really appreciated about All Saints Church was the intentionality in the preparation and the waiting of Advent. Advent is really a season to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christmas and the Twelve Days of Christmas (until Epiphany on January 6). All Saints Church actually holds off in hanging the Advent greens and decorating the church until after the fourth Sunday of Advent. So, the people will return Christmas Eve and begin the celebration of Christmas and the Twelve Days of Christmas. The pastor of the church actually holds off saying Merry Christmas until Christmas Day and the days following Christmas. This all got me thinking about what rhythms I can build into Advent that better practice the waiting of the season and in turn make the celebration and arrival of Christ Mass all the sweeter.

Here is a link to understanding more about the Twelve Days of Christmas in the church calendar. (And here all this time, I thought it was just a corny song about giving birds as gifts!) www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html