“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Matthew 24:36

Now would be a good time for some divine intervention.

Things are kind of scary down here. Are you paying attention, God? If you’re planning on sending Jesus back for a Second Coming, I’m thinking the time is now. Lately, I must admit, I’ve had my doubts that we humans can get out of the messes we’ve created for ourselves. And I’m just a tiny bit perturbed that you aren’t doing anything about it.

Come Back, Come Back, Emmanuel! We need you!

Part of the Advent season that we sometimes downplay is anticipation for Christ’s return. When we sing that great Charles Wesley hymn “Come thou Long expected Jesus”, some of us (me included) tend to forget that those lyrics aren’t just looking to the past, but also to the future.

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring

Charles Wesley

Maybe Advent doesn’t have to be all “baby in the manger cute and cuddly” all the time. Maybe it’s okay to let a little pleading slip into your voice as you sing:

“O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.”

John Mason Neale

If you want to pray for deliverance, pray your guts out. If you want things to be “on Earth as it is in Heaven,” make your desires known. You may or may not get a face to face with JC, but I believe God hears every prayer, and responds, mysteriously. It is absolutely appropriate to cry out to God for a little help down here.

I believe that God’s not done with us. Emmanuel, after all, means “God with us”. I believe Christ will return some day. If not this Christmas, then maybe next year. We are living in the Now of God’s grace, anticipating the Not Yet of God’s Kingdom.

In the meantime, as the whole earth groans under the weight of brokenness, the Holy Spirit is active and at work. Loving us from the inside out and the outside in. Decorating our lives with signs of hope, peace, joy, and love.

Giving us (inexplicably at times) reasons to

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Have a great week,

Mitch