“Vigilant Hope”

“We want merriment.  We want twinkly lights.  We want jingle-bells.  We want bubbles.  We want frivolity and festivities and familiar songs with catchy tunes.  We want speed.  And Advent is none of that. .... Advent is a slow, four-week crescendo of illumination.  It takes time.  Waiting and watching is the purpose of Advent.  We’re supposed to look forward to Christmas, rather than dive right in.  Deep sighs are expected.  Patience is tested.  If we rush through Advent, we miss its beauty and its crucial message altogether.  So as we begin Advent, I invite you to slowness and stillness.  I invite you to breathe deeper.  Advent offers us an expectant pause.  I know it’s busy and hectic and sparkly and loud out there.  But here and now, in Christian worship, we get an antidote to all that --  a much-needed reprieve.  A simple invitation to wait and to hope.”

Meditation by The Rev. Valerie Coe Lowder, preacher

Sunday, November 30, 2025