December 12, 2013 "ARE YOU EXPECTING?"

MID-MONTH NEWSLETTER
OFFERINGS OFF THE WALL

“Are You Expecting?”

Indeed those three words “Are you expecting?” nowadays refer to impending motherhood. When we add an article and a noun after the word “expecting” we discover that the phrase is used in a wide variety of contexts. For example: “Are you expecting the bus?” “Are you expecting a raise?” “Are you expecting a win?” Are you expecting to win the lottery? All of these join the ranks of “Are you expecting a boy or a girl?” Depending upon the answer to any of the above questions we can be assured, annoyed, delighted, disappointed, gratified or hopelessly embarrassed. In the case of the baby question, if there is even an inkling of doubt, no matter how curious we are, we will hold our tongues, afraid of hearing the dreaded “NO”: “No, I am not expecting, I am just fat.” In that circumstance there is simply no place to hide our mortification and shame.
During the Advent season we should be expecting - expecting God to be at work doing something new and different in our lives? Too many of us keep this holiday as a commemoration of the something new and different God did 2000 years ago. Too many people give little thought to what God has been doing since then. Yes, in our tradition we celebrate and remember the birth of the Christ Child as it happened in the past, but if we don’t ponder how he will be “born in us today” then we allow the gift to pass us by -- to be left unopened.
Are you expecting? Let that question stir your soul over the next 10 days. How will you receive the gift of the Christ Child in your life this year, this moment, today?
Let us cling to the sure thing that God has given, and keeps on giving, Joy in Jesus. Let Jesus be the light that shines through moments of doubt and darkness. Let Jesus be the peace that comforts through any storm, because Jesus has always been the promise of Good things to come.
I awoke very early this morning with Charles Wesley’s words filling my heart and my soul. I encourage you to keep them close to your hearts.
“Come thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation,
JOY of every longing heart.”

God Bless you,

Rev. Amanda