This past Sunday, as we began our worship, I referenced a phrase from St. Bernard of Clairvaux who spoke of “three Advents.” It might seem strange to think of three Advents; Advent only comes once a year! But, in the words of St. Bernard, these three advents refer to very distinctive “advents” (or, “comings”) of Christ:
- First, we anticipate the incarnation of Christ (aka: the coming of God through Emmanuel, God with us) at Christmas.
- And last, we look in hope for the coming (aka: the “advent”) of Christ at the end of the age.
- And in between these “advents,” St. Bernard asserts that we are to keep alert for the everyday arrival of Jesus: the knock at the door, or the still small voice, or the weary refugee, or the encounter with Christ through one another, through the Word, or through the sacrament.
Truth is, even as we look back to the time when Christ came, and even as we look ahead to the time when Christ will come, we also profess that Christ is coming to us now. Logically, in the span of time, it doesn’t make sense. And yet, this is the mystery of faith: the very mystery that we profess as we join in our communion liturgy as we give thanks for Christ’s death and resurrection, as we plead for Christ’s coming again, and as we partake of Christ’s body and blood within the sacrament.
So this week, as we inch closer and closer to the season of Advent in the church year, I invite you to consider: Where have you already encountered Christ’s coming to you? How have you experienced Christ’s presence in your everyday life? Give thanks for Christ’s advent in your life, and within the world. And then, pray for Christ to come again into your life, into our congregation, into the greater church, and into the world. Consider imagining a specific situation, place, or group of people and imagine Christ coming to that space. Ask God to come and fill that space with Christ’s presence, and ask Christ to come and fill you.
As many of you likely learned early on, we do believe that God is always with us. But an invitation for Christ to come, and to take up residence within us, and within our world, never hurts anything. So ask, and keep alert, this week. For Christ is coming.