Be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds alert when he comes.
Luke 12:36–37

On Thanksgiving morning, right about 10:00 a.m., the power in our neighborhood went out. Not good! We delayed our Thanksgiving dinner plans; and while Ohio Edison assured us that the power would be restored, we did not know exactly when. We had to simply wait.

Unexpected calamity, delayed expectations, and waiting are all themes of the Advent season. The people of Israel had had many an untimely disaster, and their hopes for an improvement in their situation were long delayed. There was the promise of a Messiah, but no one knew exactly when the Promised One would arrive.

Today we often deal in life with untimely misfortune and delayed plans. The Advent season teaches us the spiritual virtue of waiting. Biblical waiting is not simply a passive stance of doing nothing. It is an expectant waiting, in which we look to God with a confident hope, actively persevering in faith, trusting that God’s good purposes will unfold.

In this past fall’s sermon series, I referred one Sunday to the parable of the watchful servants, a section of which is quoted above. In the parable, the servants who are waiting for their master to return have no idea when he might arrive. They are “blessed” by being watchful and alert. So Jesus urges us to be ready and receptive for God’s action in our lives.

On Thanksgiving morning, after about an hour, the lights and the stove came on! Dinner was a bit delayed, but delicious.

Life does not always unfold on our timetable. But as people of faith, we keep alert, looking to the Lord with expectation, trusting in the good things of God to come.

Thought for the Day: From Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Prayer: Thank Inspire us, O Lord, when our plans are derailed, to wait with patience, and to keep alert to your grace and receptive to your help.

David Palmer,
Senior Pastor