Dear Rose Park,
During the Advent season, many families have traditions. Some of these traditions may have been passed down from generation to generation. Perhaps it’s singing “Silent Night” with your closest family members on Christmas Eve, decorating the Christmas tree while listening to your favorite carols, or maybe even watching “Home Alone” and laughing at all the scenes you’ve already watched a dozen times. In any case, the rhythm of traditions can be very meaningful during this Advent season.
One of the traditions I’ve began during the Advent season is reading through a selection of Psalms. Hearing the prayers of the church as we anticipate the coming of the Christ child brings a special meaning to their words. One Psalm in particular stands out more than others. Here’s Psalm 131 from the Message translation:
God, I’m not trying to rule the roost, I don’t want to be the king of the mountain. I haven’t meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans. I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content. Wait, Israel, for God. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always!
I haven’t fantasized grandiose plans…I’ve cultivated a quiet heart…wait with hope. The Psalmist reminds us to faithfully and quietly wait with hope. Of course, waiting is far easier said than done. Waiting is a difficult task for many of us. If you have young children you know this to be true.
For the Israelites, they’ve been waiting for hundreds of years for their promised Messiah. They’ve watched generation come and go without seeing Him. I have to imagine hope was dwindling with each passing year. The same can be said for us as we await HIs return. In this in-between time, violence and war continue to immerge, poverty spreads without discrimination, viruses continue to evolve and multiply, bitterness and loneliness seem to sink deeper in our souls, and division continues to stretch out its’ arms creating a bigger chasm between us all.
But if we can wait with hope, we fill find ourselves just like the Psalmist…like a baby content in its mother’s arms. When we faithfully and quietly wait in hope we will find all our needs met in the providing arms of Christ. This is all to say, it will be my hope and prayer during this Advent season that you might wait with us at Rose Park. Join us for communal worship over the next several weeks and surround yourself with a community who waits…because when we do, we’ll find ourselves like a baby content in its mother’s arms.
Grace & Peace,
