More Advent thoughts on a rainy Sunday

1. There are still two weeks left of Advent, two weeks until Christmas Eve, two weeks before Christmas songs are actually à propos. Please can't we wait? St. Jude, where are you? I may have a lost cause here. 
All this holy time of Advent can give one time to quietly consider what it means to have a savior, born as one of us, come to save, to heal, to  illuminate, to energize us, kick us lovingly into action, and to bind us all together as children of God. Perhaps you are ready for the Lord to be born. I need time. Oh boy do I need time, very serious prayer time. The gentle Jesus meek and mild is the most powerful force for change that I have ever encountered, and I need to get ready to - again! - have everything change. Everything. Every single thing.

2. I grew up on Christmas music, on Fred Waring's recordings that featured my grandfather's glorious baritone, and Robert Shaw's exquisite choral work. I love them. I do not have a bah! humbug! bone in my body. But raised as I was in a Reformed tradition, I spent my childhood being pounded from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve with "Christ is born" songs, when he wasn't yet, so what was Advent? and then it was Christmas Day and by Christmas afternoon, poof! it was over. What happened to the other 12 days? What do you mean, just a song?

3. Lent leads to joy, but it passes through great pain. Advent, too, moves soberly, but straight to joy.