Stuck in the Clouds

Read Isaiah 64:1-9a, Psalm 80, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Mark 13:24. As we come to the Advent worship season, it can be enjoyable to ride this wave of enthusiasm and expectation as we revel in the flourishes of the season like the advent candles and the steady influx of Christmas cards and gifts. But in preparing for Advent, we miss something crucial if we overlook the fact that there is a deep wound at the heart of Advent; God’s groaning and limping creation still waits for its healer to appear in glory. As Christians, we still await the reality we only know by faith. To use the language of this week’s epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:7 “[That we] eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “revelation” is translated from the Greek word apokalypse. Advent is a time when we wait for the apocalypse.