Advent 1: the gift of the moment (2019)

Advent 1: the gift of the moment

(the first of an eight part series)

1 Peter 1:12 (WNT) To them ( the prophets) it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you, when they foretold the very things which have now been openly declared to you by those who, having been taught by the Holy Spirit which had been sent from Heaven, brought you the Good News. Angels long to stoop and look into these things.

This Advent, we are living in the moment, awaiting His coming. Angels are longing, bending, stooping and desiring to see our moment.

What is this moment? Mindfulness speaks of a present moment-both past and perished, yet alive and eternally present. This promised moment, this present moment is the everlasting eternal moment of Advent. It is the moment of all moments. The beginning of His new creation- it is our story moment- our advent moment: the coming of our Christ, our promised saviour into our earthly world.

Advent is about the gift of this and other moments- it is about new beginnings: newness and promise; expectations spoken and fulfilled; gifts of Magi and the Father. Our Father…. this is what Advent calls us to be mindful of. Our Father’s gift, Jesus His son.

Luke writes of these beginnings, Advent/advent moments, in both his Gospel and his book on the new Christian church. He begins his book of Acts of his church community with…

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” NIV

And in his first book, Luke’s gospel…

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly accountfor you, most excellent Theophilus,4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke 1 NIV

Luke writes, is deeply captivated, about advents, about beginnings.

The book of Acts (his second book) is about the gift of the Spirit. His Gospel is about the gift of our Saviour. These are gifts for new beginnings. Our new beginnings.

This is what Angels are stopping to look into: the Advent of the Gospel; the gift of salvation; the story of a child Saviour. They are also looking at us. They are looking at His story in, with, for us. They are looking for our new births with this story. Our advents.

This season of 2019 I will be writing about Advent beginnings: the beginnings of the Christian church in Acts, alongside the newness of a baby child in our world. These moments share in common a writer, Luke, and a Saviour; a beginning with a past; angels and shepherds; messengers and on lookers. Advent is about shared one shared moment which forms an eternity of new births, new beginnings- our stories together with His. Stories together as one

woven and still forming tapestry.

The story is about a Saviour, the Messiah. It is also about us-how we see and hear; receive and respond; live in moments and, pass, go on. It is about saving moments; eternal and everlasting moments. It is about advents, beginnings, our stories and His.

Advent is about keeping our story new and alive, a beginning without end. As eternal as the story of a homeless couple having a child in a cave manger. It is a story of the gift of the moment.

Join this eight part reflection On Advent beginnings – they will appear on Tuesdays and Fridays each week of Advent – at charlesosewalt.com

Charles