Why religion is silly (part 2)…

** From time to time I will come across an article that simply makes me think “Religion is so silly!” When that happens I will post it so you can see the destructive silliness of trying to achieve your own righteousness through [your] works and not grace… enjoy!**

“Religion is the default mode of the human heart”

– Martin Luther

An Islamic cleric living in Europe reportedly has warned Muslim women not to get too close to bananas, cucumbers or other produce — to avoid having “sexual thoughts.”

The unnamed cleric, whose directive was featured in an article in el-Senousa, a religious publication, purportedly said that if women wanted to eat these foods, a third party — preferably a male related to them, such as their father or husband — should cut the items into small pieces before serving, the Egyptian website Bikya Masr reported.

Carrots and zucchini also were added to the alleged cleric’s list of forbidden foods for women.

News of the statement quickly spread online, leaving many liberal Muslims embarrassed and angry, evoking a flurry of mockery in online forums.

“Many of the commentators are Muslims themselves, who have expressed their anger against the cleric for making Islamic religious practices appear unreasonable,” The International Business Times reported.

BikyaMasr.com said the cleric, identified only as a sheikh, was asked in the interview how to “control” women when they are shopping for groceries, and whether holding these items at the market would be bad, to which he replied that the matter was between them and God.

Questions also arose about the validity of the original published interview. An online search for the el-Senousa article, for instance, yields only results linking to the Bikya Masr report.

But the mere suggestion of a strict order for Muslim women handling food has been enough to send people to website forums and Twitter to air their indignation.

Danish/Lebanese journalist Helen Hajjij tweeted: “So if Muslim women should stay away from cucumbers and bananas, should men stay away from melons?”

Bible Reading Plan for 2012

At the beginning of every year it seems that almost every person I come across resolves to do something different in the upcoming year. The actual statistics are that 40 to 45% of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. Among the top new years resolutions each year are ones about weight loss, exercise, and stopping to smoke. Also popular are resolutions dealing with better money management / debt reduction.

While many people who make new years resolutions do break them, research shows that making resolutions is useful. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who do not explicitly make resolutions. So I wanted to suggest one to you taken from a blog post I read a few years back, enjoy!

The beginning of a New Year is an an excellent time to try something new. As you make your list of resolutions and goals I want to recommend adding a simple four step process that could transform your life by, quite literally, changing your mind.

After reading the entire post the vast majority of readers will snicker at such a hyperbolic claim and never implement the method I outline. A smaller number will consider the advice intriguing, my assertion only a slight exaggeration, but will also never implement the method. A tiny minority, however, will recognize the genius behind the process and apply it to their own life. This group will later say that my claim was an understatement.

This post is written for those people.

A few years ago I stumbled across a variation of the four steps in a blog post by my Evangel co-blogger Fred Sanders and implemented his recommendation that day. I later had the pleasure of meeting Sanders in person and telling him how his post had transformed my life. My hope is that at least one other person will follow this advice and experience the same transformative effect.

Before I reveal the four steps I want to reiterate that while the advice couldtransform your life, it likely will not. As with most life-altering advice, it is simple, easy to implement, and even easier to ignore. Statistically speaking, the odds are great that you’ll ignore this advice. But a handful of you will try it so for the one or two people who will find this useful, the four steps that will transform your worldview are:

1. Choose a book of the Bible.

Choose shorter books and work up to longer ones. Since you’ll be reading an entire book of the Bible and not just a chapter or two, you’ll want to work your way up to more extensive readings. When beginning this program you may want to start with a short book that has only a few chapters that can be read several times in one sitting. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and help develop the reading habit. For example, a short book like John or Jude can be read four or five times in one sitting allowing you to finish the entire twenty readings in less than a week. [NT books, shortest to longest: 3 John, 2 John, Phlm, Jude, Titus, 2Thess, Rev, 2 Peter, 2 Tim, 1Thess, Col, 1 Tim, Phil, 1 Peter, James, 1 John, Gal, Eph, 2 Cor, Heb, 1 Cor, Rom, Mark, John, Matt, Acts, Luke; OT books, shortest to longest: See this chart.]

Choose an appropriate version. A modern language paraphrase is not an appropriate version for synthetic reading. Likewise, the familiar rhythms and cadences of the KJV can, upon repeated readings, get in the way of comprehension. I personally recommend the ESV, though the NIV can be a suitable alternative.

2. Read it in its entirety.

3. Repeat step #2 twenty times.

4. Repeat this process for all books of the Bible.

Click here to read the rest of the article…

How are you planning to get into the Bible more in 2012? What do you think?

Advent Week 5: Anticipation

For many of us, Christmas Day was one of the most important days of the year, which is obvious given the amount of preparation that often goes into it. Schedules, plans and budgets are adjusted months in advance. Family members travel in from far away. As a matter of fact we added 2 new members to our family from Uganda this Christmas, but I digress. Decorations are perfectly placed, menus are planned, gifts are purchased, wrapped and hidden and then re-hidden. There is intentionality, joy and anticipation all because this day is significant, valuable and also because we believe it is a reality.

Christmas isn’t a pretend day; it’s real. We wouldn’t go through all the trouble of trimming trees and fighting crowds if we didn’t believe Christmas was, in fact, an actual day. We trust it to come on the same date every year, and out of love and expectation, we make every necessary preparation so that when December 25 becomes our reality, we’ll be ready.

We spend months preparing to celebrate and remember Christ’s first coming. How much more should we seek to be ready for the day of His second coming? That day, too, is a reality, an absolute certainty. Unlike Christmas Day, which we know to expect every 25th of December, only the Father knows the day and hour His Son will return, but He is coming. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Beloved One, will return to the earth. It has been promised.

In the fullness of time, He will split the sky and descend to destroy all wickedness, receive the worship that is rightfully His, and usher in a new age – one free of sin, suffering, disappointment and fear. On that day, the children of God will walk in full-hearted belief and unrestrained delight as we see our Beloved face to face. We will be free from the sin and the brokenness of this world. And that will be wonderful, but the real treasure is Jesus. His return marks the beginning of unbroken, unending fellowship with Him. It is a day we should believe in, think about, look to and prepare for with joy, anticipation, hope and holy fear.

The day of Jesus’ return is certain and coming, but (so far) it is not today. At this time, we find ourselves much like the Israelites long ago – a people in waiting – which begs the question: how then shall we wait, and what does it mean to be ready for that day? How should we, as the people of God, live as we look toward and long for the coming of Jesus?

We should live as if we believe Jesus is, in fact, returning. In the same way that we have made thoughtful, intentional preparations for Christmas because we knew and believed it was an actual day that was actually coming, we are to live lives of thoughtful, intentional preparation for the actual day that Jesus will actually return. (Matthew 24:42-44)
We should be faithful and wise stewards of everything that has been entrusted to us by God, understanding that all of it—whether possession, ability, talent or gifting – actually belongs to Him and exists for His glory. (Matthew 24:45-51; 25:14-30)
We should have hearts that have been tended and prepared for His coming by being full of faith, love, worship and overwhelming delight in Jesus. We will fight and flee from sin and do all that is needed to be found faithful to our first love. (Matthew 25:1-13)
We should love and care for those who are poor, weak, cast out and in need. True disciples of Jesus cannot and will not ignore the plight of the least of these. We will serve, love, give, go and pray for those in need of food, drink, clothing, friendship and comfort. (Matthew 25:31-46)
We should love the nations and proclaim the gospel both far and near. As the church family, we are the vessel appointed by God to herald the gospel in all the world through both word and action. (Matthew 24:14)

The Bibles exhortations are just as much for us today as they were for the believers long ago. We, too, are living in the days of God’s patient mercy. Christ will not return until the gospel of the kingdom is preached in all the world and the full number of those appointed for salvation has been brought into the family of believers. We need to be reminded, as those who are dearly loved by God, that really believing in and looking toward Jesus’ return changes the way we live. It reorients our hope and perspective. It creates a sense of urgency, sobriety and giddy anticipation – just like a child who cannot wait for Christmas morning. Let us, as the people of God, be found ready in the waiting.

As this Christmas season comes to a close, take some time to reflect upon how the reality of Jesus’ return affects the way you live. May your heart be full and your eyes bright as you hope in all things in Christ and look to His coming. Take heart, beloved. It won’t be long.

This is anticipation…

Advent Week 4: Resurrection

In [arguably] the worst moment in [major] movie history happened in 1996 as I sat in a movie theatre with my girlfriend and while watching “Jerry McGuire” with her. The movie climaxed when Tom Cruise burst into his wife’s home, looked into her eyes and said the famous words, “You complete me.” (watch here) If you remember Cruise had just experienced the height of his professional career only to find out it was not what he had expected. He expected joy and found loneliness. He expected fulfillment and found emptiness. He was a man in the throes of finding out that what he had always pursued was not what he truly needed or desired.

Maguire was right about one thing: Incompleteness marks our current life. No matter how hard we try, fulfillment is always just out of reach. For unbelievers, the pursuit of fulfillment will feel like eternally chasing a moving target until Jesus becomes the object of their longing. However, even for the believer, there is a real sense that we have not found what we are looking for.

Completion is only found in Christ, through His death for our sin and resurrection from the grave, but it’s not a complete reality until we stand in our resurrected bodies in the presence of our Savior. This won’t happen until Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 come to pass: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” The return of Jesus and final restoration are the human hope, nothing less.

Suffering is not eternal, but the glory upon which we wait is. Jesus is going to return, and when He does, we will share in the fullness of His glory. When we do, the text says we will experience two things: adoption as sons, which is the redemption of our bodies, and a new earth free from the weight of sin. Since the text says creation is waiting to “obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God,” these are not separate statements but one united reality that will take place when the glorious trumpets sound and the Servant returns as King.

As we wait for this day, incompleteness defines our lives because we live as adopted children who have not yet been picked up by our parents. We know our parents’ names, know they have paid for our adoption, know the adoption has been approved but stand on the curb with bags packed waiting on them to come and tell us, “You’re home.” This is true for all believers from all centuries. Those living today and those who have entered the presence of the Lord await the completion of our adoption in the redemption of our bodies.

This is the Christian hope into which we were saved. We know that Jesus has already paid for our adoption, but we wait for the Father to send Him for us to renew our home and dwell among us eternally as we experience our resurrected bodies and the fullness of His glory. This is a salvation about so much more than just “going to heaven when we die.” This is restoration, redemption and renewal. This is going from enemies of God to sons and daughters of God, co-heirs with Christ. This is living fully in the image of God the way He intended. Oh what a day that will be. Come Lord Jesus, come.

Until Christ’s return, Paul gives us an example of how to groan in view of eternity. He exemplifies how to view the hardships of a fallen world through the lens of the eternal glory we await. To live in light of eternity does not mean demotions and cancer are not painful. It means they are not crushing. Cancer is painful because death is the last enemy to be conquered, but it’s not crushing because it’s only a matter of time before our resurrection conquers all disease. It means that loneliness is not something only our single brothers and sisters experience. We all experience loneliness because marriage is not the solution to the human condition. It’s a gift and an image that represents the substance for which we all long.

The substance that brings fulfillment and ends loneliness is standing face to face with our beloved, Jesus Christ. To stand face to face, two things must take place: He must return, and our flesh must be the redeemed, resurrected body to come. When fully grasping our hope, we can endure any suffering because we know it is temporary, and the glory to come is eternal. Until that day, we strive for a steadfast hope, we wait with patience, and we stand confident that our Savior will appear to bring completion to the adoption we long for.

This is Resurrection…

Advent Flash Mob!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE&feature=channel_video_title]

Advent Week 3: Incarnation

At one point in history, God made a promise that became a reality in the coming of Christ. His coming is known as the Incarnation in which He took on human flesh to rescue humanity through His life, death and resurrection (aka the Gospel). The Incarnation and its impact on us are the focus of our time this week, and I want to look at it through the lens of John 1.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

JOHN 1:1-5; 14

John opens his Gospel with the same three words Moses opened with in Genesis: “In the beginning.” This isn’t accidental or insignificant; rather, it is intentional and profound. What makes this breathtaking is that John’s “In the beginning” refers to a time before Genesis 1:1. As you read the rest of John 1:1, it becomes clear that he is referring to the origin of history before creation, when God and “the Word” existed eternally face to face. Then, when the Father decided it was time to create, it was the Word Who spoke creation into being. Through the Word, God brought into existence what had not previously existed.

The eternal Word “became” a man named Jesus. He Who eternally existed as God became human for humanity’s redemption. In this, He did not cease to be God. He came as fully God and fully man – on a mission of grace and truth, reflecting the glory He shared with the Father to the blind and broken world.

It’s about God Who became man in pursuit of you. He came to reveal the glory of the Father through your redemption, but this redemption did not come without a price.

The price paid is known and cherished as the gospel, and 1 Corinthians 15 puts it as straight forward as any passage: the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus according to the Scriptures for the forgiveness of sin. Christ’s death on the cross absorbed the weight of God’s wrath against sin, thus displaying eternal glory, and Christ’s resurrection proclaimed victory over death. This gospel is the fulfillment of the promise God spoke through the prophets of old. God is reliable because the plan of salvation revealed in the Old Testament did not begin in the Old Testament. Salvation through Jesus Christ was not a reaction to sin entering the world. God’s redemptive purposes are rooted in eternity. Salvation through Jesus Christ is an eternal plan that began even before “In the beginning,” which brings us back to John 1.

As Jesus was sent to humanity with a mission, we are sent to humanity to carry out His mission. We have been sent to “incarnate” into our cities and through our jobs, homes, coffee shops, homeless shelters, etc. We are to integrate counter-cultural living into our city. Jesus shows us that neither of these implications can be taken in isolation. Rather, our holiness is stirred up by our mission, and our mission is accomplished in our holiness. This is the mission of the bride of Christ in the joy of Christ until the day we walk by sight and not by faith.

This is incarnation…

The sum of their parts

Today, the sin of sexual abuse is still prevalent in both the US and abroad. This is most clearly seen in the prevalence of global sex trafficking. Here are just a handful of the disturbing stats on the global sex trafficking crisis, according to International Crisis Aid:

According to University of Pennsylvania, an estimated 300,000 youth in the US are at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial purposes
The CIA estimates that 45,000 to 50,000 young girls are trafficked into the USA each year
One in 12 youth experience sexual victimization, including sexual assault and attempted or completed rape
1.2 million children are trafficked every year globally, this in addition to the millions already held captive
The average age of a trafficked child is 12 to 14 years old
The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion

Statistics like this should make you very angry, and the Bible is clear that they make God very angry. It’s only by God’s grace and his promise to Noah not to do so that we aren’t wiped out by yet another flood.

Inherent in the story of the Flood is a story of redemption. Rather than wipe out all of humanity, as God would have justly had the right to do, he chose to preserve his creation through Noah and his family.

Mankind is still wicked to the core. Unspeakable acts are still committed globally. Sin is still prevalent. God is still grieved. Thankfully, we have the opportunity for salvation through Jesus’ work on the Cross and his resurrection, and for the world to be redeemed and ultimately restored to the point where God can say about creation, as he did in Genesis 1, that it is good.

The Bible is clear that it is only Jesus who changes the hearts of men. And it is only through Jesus that this broken and sin-soaked world will be changed and redeemed. Jesus is the hope of the world.

This lead’s me to the video for this week about a man named Jacob. “Jacob’s Story” is a mini-documentary about a man that once made his living by trafficking women & children for the purposes of commercial sex.

Jacob worked as a trafficker for a crime syndicate in Johannesburg South Africa. In this film, he speaks openly about his work as a brothel manager and he explains how syndicates all over the world operate as they exploit the weak and powerless. Most importantly, you’ll hear about the life transformation that’s taken place in Jacob’s life.

From trafficker to rescuer. Only in the Kingdom of God.

Jacob is living proof that when the Gospel changes the hearts of men; everything changes.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/31795904]

Advent Week 2: Patience

Scripture, in its most intriguing portions, often introduces an obscure character, gives him or her something profound to say or do, only to let that person mysteriously vanish from the text verses later.

Simeon (Luke 2: 25-35) was one such shady figure, known only by his righteousness, devotion and apparent long-suffering for Israel’s consolation. Imagine him as a gray-bearded saint full of the Spirit, groaning continually in the temple, waiting for Messiah. Perhaps he’d stand post on the steps, looking out over the horizon, looking for a sign.

He certainly wasn’t alone in his waiting. Countless others – the people of God from old – shared his anxious anticipation, and we can also sympathize. Most of us know the feeling well – desire builds when offered something spectacular, the prospects of some grand fortune, the opportunity to embark on some adventurous expedition, or the potential satisfaction of some unrequited love (for me it was college). Each new kernel of hope, the feeling swells in your heart. The uneasiness expands in your stomach. You know this feeling and Israel lived on the edge of their seats and in that reality, always looking out over the horizon.

The Prophets were to blame. Their continual reminders, their fanning the flame was necessary but agonizing. Certainly, we might think that the gods and goddesses of neighboring tribes could have consoled Israel. But how great was Israel’s need – sins too many to atone with burnt sacrifices, oppression too heavy from violent enemies, shame too penetrating and peace so out of reach. Israel needed a Messiah, so they waited while the Prophets poked and prodded.

To those who longed to be righteous, Jeremiah thundered:

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this

is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.

JEREMIAH 33:1416

The children of God rose in agreement….

To the oppressed who cried out for justice, Malachi encouraged:

And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. MALACHI 2:173:5

The children of God held their breath….

To those who needed freedom from shame, Zephaniah offered:

Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame

and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the LORD. ZEPHANIAH 3:1420

The children of God let out a hopeful cry….

To all who waited for peace and security, Micah submitted:

Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. MICAH 5:15

The children of God waited and waited, only to eventually rise again in agreement, hold their breath, and let out a hopeful cry. This continued for years.

This is the unsettling spirit of Advent, expectant waiting and preparation for the coming Christ, the consolation of God’s people. Take some time to reflect personally on the bitterness and the sweetness of waiting.

This is patience…

Advent week 1: Hope

Expectations are powerful. We long to trust possessions, people and ideas with our hope – hope of something greater than what we currently have. Relationships, careers and entertainment willingly receive our expectations. To the degree that we think each will deliver, anticipation grows inside of us. The voice of childhood may change tone through the years, but the same gut response comes with every disappointment:

“But you promised…”

It might not be said so plainly, but our confidence shifts as the desired object escapes our fingertips. Impatience replaces anticipation. Unrest and discontentment rise up to our defenses, while our greatest need seems too simple – perspective.

God makes promises to His people throughout the Old Testament.

A rainbow appears as a promise that the flood was a one-time deal.
God promises deliverance and spares an entire generation of Israel during Passover and with it preserves the joy of each father in holding his firstborn son.
David sleeps on cave floors, hunted by Saul, and God delivers him.

Our Father is a promise-making and promise-keeping God.

There are also those who longed for the fulfillment of promises yet could only cling to the promises themselves. For days, weeks, months and years, these people waited. Genesis speaks of Abraham and Sarah who, with Abraham in his 80s, had no child. Their hopes and expectations belong to any would-be parent: a sign of the future, the joy of parenting, but the next generation absent. Along with Abraham and Sarah, the people of Israel knew a collective experience of waiting. God promised a Messiah, a Deliverer, an anointed King. Days turned into months and seasons into years. God’s people often waited and trusted with patience and hope.

We often create our own expectations. What we want or think we deserve leaves us discontent, disillusioned, even resentful when it does not come. These feelings live in deep and powerful places within our souls and can begin to define us.

None of us escape this pain, this fear that if we love something enough God will take it away from us, as if He is vengeful and plays games with His children. We trust the object of our expectations and set our expectations too low when they were meant to be occupied by Him, after all. What good thing would the Father withhold from us if He has given us His only Son? What more could capture our hearts than the Savior Himself and the knowledge that He died bound that we might live free?

Decades of wanting, years of promise, fitless starts and stops of patience – Abraham’s faith finds no greater description than where we read of father and son walking down the mountain together, leaving behind an altar that bears the name,“The Lord will provide.”

There is no more powerful expectation than patience in the promises of God, for He has provided the Lamb, and the Lamb is the coming King.

This is hope…

What is Advent?

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 PETER 1:8–13

Toward the end of the fourth century, the churches of the Western Roman Empire settled on December 25 as the date for God’s people to mark the birth of Christ. They also instituted Advent as a season of preparation leading up to the celebration of Christmas. Just as the fasting and humility of Lent precedes the celebration of Easter, the anticipation of Advent precedes the joy of Christmas Day. The Advent season officially commences on the fourth Sunday (Advent Sunday) before Christmas and continues until Christmas Eve or Day. Various theological traditions celebrate the season through an array of customs.

Advent, formed from a Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival,” is about the coming of Christ. It’s the celebration of the first advent of Jesus and the anxious awaiting of His second. The season is a time for remembering and rejoicing, watching and waiting, and a time to reflect upon the promises of God and to anticipate the fulfillment of those promises with patience, prayer and preparedness. In Advent, we press into the tension of “already but not yet.” We affirm that Christ has come, and we declare that he is coming.

Perhaps there is no more popular tradition associated with the season is the use of an Advent calendar to mark the month of December. Modern Advent calendars typically include 24 “windows” that are opened (one per day) to reveal a poem, portion of Scripture, story, picture or small gift. As more windows are opened, expectancy increases in awaiting the final day, which represents the first advent of Christ.

Another popular tradition involves the use of an Advent candle or candles. This symbolic tradition is borrowed from the emphasis throughout Scripture of Jesus Christ being the light of the world (Matthew 4:16; John 1:4-9, 8:12). Those using one candle burn a little each day to mark the progression of the season. Each day a bit more of the candle is burned to symbolize the anticipation of Christmas. Others use a wreath with five candles in the middle. Each week a new candle is lit in anticipation of the final lighting on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Ultimately, the King is coming. Jesus Christ has come and will come again. This is the hope of the Church whom He purchased with His blood. It is the eager expectation and desire of His people. In His coming is our joy, for He is our treasure, our greatest good.