The Pastor's Pen

From the Pastor’s Pen...

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with good food, good stories, and at least one moment of genuine gratitude that caught you by surprise. The day after
Thanksgiving is an odd one, isn’t it? Some call it Black Friday, some call it a day for leftovers, and others – if we’re being honest – would simply call it a day to rest
and recover.

But for the Church, this weekend signals something deeper: the quiet turning of the calendar toward Advent. As the world hurries into shopping and sales, Advent invites us to slow down. While the stores hum with the noise of urgency, Advent whispers a different word – wait. Wait, watch, pay attention. Something holy is drawing near.

It's striking to me that the world’s “start of the season” begins with early-morning crowds and full carts while the Church’s “start of the season” begins with a single
candle lit in the dark. One is about getting more; the other is about making room.
One is about what we think we need; the other prepares us for the One we actually
need.

This Sunday we’ll light the first candle – Hope. And maybe that’s the perfect antidote to a season that sometimes feels too busy, too loud, too much. Hope is quiet, but it’s steady. It reminds us that God has not forgotten us. It reminds us that Christ still comes – into our world, into our lives, into every place that feels weary or worn thin.

So as you sift through leftovers and emails and the last crumbs of pumpkin pie, I invite you to take a breath. Let your heart tilt toward the promise of Advent.

Christ is coming. Light is on the way.

See you Sunday.

Blessings,
Pastor Greg
pastorgreg@lawrencevillepresbyterian.org