Saint Andrew's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Andrew, is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle. It is celebrated on November 30th, during Scotland's Winter Festival. As you will recall, it was Saint Andrew who introduced his brother, the Apostle Peter, to Jesus, the Messiah (John 1:40-42). Saint Andrew's Day marks the beginning of the traditional Advent Season. This year, St. Andrew’s Day and the First Sunday of Advent are both celebrated on Sunday, November 30th. The Season of Advent consists of the four Sundays prior to Christmas Day. Historians inform us that the observance of Advent originated in France during the fourth century and that in ancient times the season was strictly observed. In those days, every Christian was required to attend church service and to engage in a daily fast. The word “Advent” consists of two Latin words “ad” and “venire”, which when combined and translated literally means “to come to.” Therefore, Advent is the message of God coming to us, entering our world in the person of Jesus [John 3:16-17]. Though we celebrate Advent each year as an historical and very personal event, Advent also refers to a certain and sure future experience when Jesus Christ will return again at His Second Advent when “He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead” and to firmly establish His eternal Kingdom forever! The Message of Advent is the message of the Incarnation, when the Second Person of the Trinity became man, took on our nature and lived among us [John 1:1-2, 14], but it is also the message of continued “preparation.” The Lord has come, and He is coming again whether the world is ready or not. For those unprepared, His coming will mean judgment. For those of us who are ready and watching for His appearance, it will mean eternal salvation. So, how does Advent suggest that we prepare? Like the Season of Lent, Advent calls us to repentance. When we truly repent we turn away from and we forsake our sins. We also turn toward our Saviour and seek to live godly lives that honour Him and reflect Him living within us. In addition, we commit ourselves to prayer. We make prayer a daily part of our life just like breathing, eating, drinking, and walking. Prayer becomes a vital and important part of our daily lives. Then, we exercise patience. Yes, that is what I said, patience. Now, if you are like me, you don’t have a natural affinity for that word or its meaning but nonetheless, that is what we are called to do. We are called to exercise patience as we watch and wait for the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. During the Celebration of Advent, the mood of the season is expressed in color. The liturgical color is rich blue or purple. This color represents a feeling of dignity, royalty and repentance. It is the traditional color of royalty. Advent, like Lent, is a time for solemn and sober reflection upon our need for repentance and also a time for the celebration of great hope; Jesus Christ has come to redeem us from our sins, and He is coming again to establish His eternal Kingdom. Traditionally, Advent was originally known as the “Winter Lent” expressed in liturgical color and in the music of hymns like “Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel.” The season expressed the same type of hope as that of a family looking forward to a son or daughter returning home from a deployment or a bride anticipating her wedding day or parents awaiting the birth of their child. So too a Christian should look forward with great joy to Christ’s coming. The observance of Advent is expressed in various ways within the church including the use of an Advent wreath in the church and homes; hymns, prayers and anthems of hope as well as confession; and the use of Chrismons for the Christmas tree. Advent should challenge all of us to counteract the commercialism, to engage in Bible reading daily, to consider the relationship between the First and the Second coming of Christ, and to consider a renewed appreciation for the ministry of John the Baptist as the one who came in the Spirit of Elijah proclaiming a message of spiritual preparation for the coming of the Christ. This Advent Season, like those before, calls you back to the realization that God really does love you and that He desires to enter into a living growing dynamic relationship with you through His Son, our only Saviour Jesus Christ, who gently calls us to Himself, forgives your sins, accepts you as His very own, and gently changes you so that you become more like Him. This is the message of Advent. It’s not just an historical event in the past or in the future. Advent is now! It is the work of Almighty God at this very moment within you and me conforming us to the image of His Son. May the true blessings of Advent be upon you! Amen. Pastor Jim