If I ask you what today is, you will tell me that it is December 2^nd, the first Sunday in December. Some of you may check your iPhone or wristwatch, just to be sure, because time does fly by; but yes, it is the second day of December.

            According to the church calendar, however, today is something more. It is the beginning of the new church year; it is the first Sunday of Advent. And with that, today begins the season of waiting.

            This idea of waiting is no surprise to many of you — especially parents or grandparents. You have some children or tween-agers or teenagers who have been waiting for some time — since Halloween, probably, when Christmas promotion began. And when the calendar turns to December, this means we’ve entered the countdown time. So you’re not surprised when I tell you that this is the season of waiting. You didn’t need to come to church today to get that bit of information!

Advent as the season of waiting

            But we need to go a bit deeper than that. We’re not talking about Christmas shopping and presents — not at this moment, at least. We’re talking about the church calendar, and the fact that we are now entering the great, historic time of waiting that is the s

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