Faith Venture

(Following up on the last two pieces thinking through Advent.)

Preparation. Waiting. Hope. Joy.

Perhaps my wife’s (and all of you like her) joy of decorating and bringing out the special things is a form of that preparation for Christmas? 

Everything is laid out around the house in anticipation of the day.

There is joy in familiar music played only in December.

The anticipation of special church services. I had Catholic friends who found great joy at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. We Protestants typically have a less formal service but conclude with candles and singing Silent Night.

I accuse others, especially academics, of thinking too much. Perhaps I do, too.

As I write this, the first heavier snow of the year is falling. Forecasters are calling for 5 inches. It’s a white landscape outside my study window. Yet, there must be 100 blackbirds gathering and flying and playing in the snow.

Maybe it’s all about gathering and playing. And not worrying so much. In the end, we will notice daylight time growing. Another anticipation—spring and coming warmth.

This entry was posted on December 4, 2025 at 5:02 am and is filed under advent. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.