As Christians, the liturgical season leading up to Christmas is defined by anticipation. We eagerly await the arrival of Jesus, our savior's birth into the world once again. We wait for his divine presence to meet our humanness. God incarnate. Emmanuel. God with us.
This Advent, we will share stories written by congregants on what it means to wait. Both in the season of Advent, and in normal, sometimes mundane, everyday life.
Waiting looks different for everyone. Some busy themselves with preparation; some welcome a moment of stillness; some become filled with anxiety, others excitement. We can also wait for many things – a birth, a job, a relationship, a sense of purpose, a fresh start, an answer from God, the end of a hard season. And the truth is, that something we wait for may come and it may not. Or, even, a combination of the two. We see this on Christmas Day: Christ has come, but we continue to wait for the full, final expression of God's Kingdom on earth.
To begin the series, we first offer a poem that illuminates the many faces of waiting, rooting it in our everyday experiences. And reminds us that waiting can be a time of blessing if we embrace it.
Blessing for Waiting
by Jan Richardson
Who wait
for the night
to end
bless them.
Who wait
for the night
to begin
bless them.
Who wait
in the hospital room
who wait
in the cell
who wait
in prayer
bless them.
Who wait
for news
who wait
for the phone call
who wait
for a word
who wait
for a job
a house
a child
bless them.
Who wait
for one who
will come home
who wait
for one who
will not come home
bless them.
Who wait with fear
who wait with joy
who wait with peace
who wait with rage
who wait for the end
who wait for the beginning
who wait alone
who wait together
bless them.
Who wait
without knowing
what they wait for
or why
bless them.
Who wait
when they
should not wait
who wait
when they should be
in motion
who wait
when they need
to rise
who wait
when they need
to set out
bless them.
Who wait
for the end
of waiting
who wait
for the fullness
of time
who wait
emptied and
open and
ready
who wait
for you
o bless.