ANTICIPATION...
It's making me wait!! That was the famous song for a ketchup commercial growing up. This was a time before "squeeze ketchup bottles". Instead, the beautiful red ketchup was in glass bottles. When you "poured" it out, you would wait and wait for the delicious, red, thick tomato sauce to come out and enhance your french fries. It was life changing when I finally realized I could speed up the process by breaking the vacuum seal with a knife. And I still catch myself singing Carly Simon's song by the same name that says that "anticipation" is making me late.
But what is "anticipation"? According to the Oxford Dictionary it means "expectation or prediction". Webster also says "the act of looking forward". And did you know that it can be healthy to anticipate? "Anticipating fun times and experiences is great for our mental health," according to psychologist Kelly Nardella. "It lifts our spirits and our mood. It also motivates us to persevere through challenges."
Throughout the scriptures, in both the Old and New Testament, there are many verses that talk about anticipation and hope. When you think about the folks in the Old Testament, it was often the promise of the future, the anticipation of the Messiah, the Deliverer, that gave hope and joy.
The prophet Isaiah (40:31) gives a great promise when he says "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (KJV)
And the New Testament is full of stories of people still looking for "Hope" and anticipating a better future. The writer of Hebrews reminds us "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (11:1 NIV)
I believe that you can find Joy in Anticipation. Anticipation is "joyful hope" knowing that ultimately God is in control and that it is going to be beyond awesome! We can experience this time of expectation during the Christmas Season. In fact, a portion of our celebration and worship is the observation of Advent. This Sunday we begin the Advent season, a time of anticipating the coming of Immanuel, with a theme of "Hope".
This Christmas season, I also invite you to join me in experiencing the Messiah through a walk through the Gospel of Luke. There are twenty-four chapters in the Gospel of Luke. Read one a day, finishing on Christmas Eve, helping to focus on the Reason for the Season on Christmas Day. By the way, chapter one deals with a lot of "anticipation" and hope.
As we enter into the "most wonderful time of the year", it is my prayer that you anticipate, receive, and celebrate the Joy that is found only in the Reason for the Season, Immanuel, Christ with us. The Word became flesh, is the Light and the Truth. When we receive the Gift, we can experience life with meaning. We can live daily with hopeful joy! May this celebration of this special time, Christmas, be your best thus far! I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday and beginning our celebration of Advent. And now more than ever, know that ...
You ARE Loved!
Pastor Lonnie
"Celebrating 175 Years of Ministry"