Advent 2023
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5: 3-5)
Against a painted landscape rich with vibrant autumn hues of orange, gold and red, it rises, erect, a formal display in sharp contrast to its natural surroundings. It seems so out of place, this giant green cone, methodically hung with perfectly-spaced large, shiny silver and red orbs goofily dwarfing the star on top. If I am generous, it looks like a child’s crayon drawing come to life. I confess that more often, lately, I am not generous. I am mostly inclined to describe it as a gaudy, taunting eyesore.
“You are no Christmas tree,” I want to say out loud. It is neither a herald of Christmas, nor a tree, as evidenced by the lovely, gentle trees surrounding it, calling its bluff.
Perhaps I have driven by this “un-tree” hundreds of times or more, in years past. Whether it is the same tree used year after year in this space, I cannot say, because I have never given it much notice or attention. But something about it caught my eye this year. This year, every time I drive past, I feel sad and frustrated, and maybe a little bit angry and cynical.
It's not so much the commercialism of Christmas that bothers me. I am used to that. It’s that I blame the “un-tree” for stealing Advent from me, for trying to rush me past the season of preparation, on to the gift. I am not ready for Christmas.
Advent has always been meaningful to me. The small Presbyterian church of my childhood did not rely heavily on the liturgical calendar. I was unfamiliar with Lent before I went to college. But Advent has always helped to ground me. Peace, hope, joy and love deserve my attention more often than four Sundays each year. Still, without the church calendar and the Advent wreath I might not stop to contemplate them, one by one.
This year, especially, hope beckons me. I need this season of waiting, not only of waiting but of waiting expectantly, for something new. And that ugly tree mocks me. It mocks my hope.
I long to anticipate birth and life, to believe that the world’s groans, deep and long and insufferable, are nothing more than labor pains, that they represent the agony which ushers in the world’s redemption. I long to believe that this is not the end of something, but its beginning.
Prayer
Merciful and loving God, help us resist the pressure to race ahead toward Christmas. Instead, teach us how to wait with you, expectantly, in hope. Amen.
Today’s devotion was written and read by Greta Smith.
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
