Email
PrintPrayer for a Happy Advent
The last day of November, lugging my bag through an airport, I listened to the piped-in music in disbelief. Someone was telling me about chestnuts roasting on an open fire, a drummer boy was playing his drum “rumpumpumpum,” and Nat King Cole alerted me in rising crescendo, “O night divine/O night when Christ was born.”
“Hey, buddy,” I wanted to say, “O Holy Night is still 25 shopping days away.”
Am I such a Scrooge that all these signs of Christmas, the red bows on wreaths, the tinsel-garlanded trees, the lights dripping from eaves, the Santas climbing down chimneys, feel premature? Sure, I love Christmas, but the next time I hear a loudspeaker in November wishing me a merry one, as well as a jingle bell rock, I’m tempted to respond, “Happy Advent!”
You can keep all those garlands and sparkling balls and twinkling lights, but don’t take away Advent. Don’t give me the Christ Child in the manger just yet. Advent means waiting, and waiting is rich, fertile ground for prayer. When I send my mind through that long list of people I’m praying for, I do it in great hope, waiting for the miracles that will come to them, the miracles that are already working out. Why rush things?
Christmas is a great spiritual feast, but I like being reminded of the long wait beforehand. “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” said John the Baptist in the gospel of Matthew. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,” said the angel to Mary. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel,” said the angel to Joseph. These were huge things to contemplate. I like to think about them before I celebrate “O Holy Night” or sing “Away in a Manger.”
The best things often come after a long wait. Prayer is waiting in expectation. “Let me wait,” I want to tell Nat King Cole and whoever is roasting those chestnuts. Let me ponder hope, let me work on love.
You can celebrate Advent with us and get a special thought and prayer every day leading up to December 25 by signing up for our 30-Day Prayer Programs in the Free Newsletters box on the upper right of our homepage. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. It makes Christmas all the more joyful.
Recent Blog Posts
Rick Hamlin is the executive editor of Guideposts magazine. His regular prayer habit is a psalm a day and some meditation on his commute to work, which happens to be a New York subway train.
Your Comments
Hi Rick sitting here praying for God to rescue me from worries.I am an bad need of help for my family and I.My wish for christmas is that if it God will someone will help my family and I with a faith giving donate so we can have a place to call home.we need help for rent,lights,water,food etc and don't know where it comming from.my only income is ssi benefit and it not enough.we need a miracle to happen for us cause we don't have one dollars to our name and that's hurt me as a mother,so God bless you all in jesus name we prayer,Amen.Dianne.
I wish that everyone will have a special christmas with their family.Please pray for my family and I and this time of need.we are a poor family and only gets ssi benefit each month and it not enough we don't have food at time and other household items.please pray for my family and I that someone will give us a donate of any amount in jesus name we pray.Amen.Dianne
thx for letting us know Dianne. I will pray for food for you and comfort and peace.
Thank you,hope is what we have on our side along with our faith that someone will help a family who are an bad need of everything,Dianne.
Thanks, Karen. I know what you mean about carols after December 26. You don't hear a one. Next weekend I'm going caroling with friends from choir in our church neighborhood. I like to think of it as Advent Caroling! rick
Yes, I agree that advent is an important part of Christmas, but listening to all of the Christmas music helps me prepare for tha glorious event. Music is a window to the soul.I love the music and always hate that I do not hear it anymore immediatley on DEC 26th. The radio and other public places that play music could at least keep playing it for another week until the new year! Merry Christmas everyone, and enjoy the season all year long and each and everyday of your life.
Comment