The First Sunday of Advent is November 29. It is the beginning of a new Church Year! We are thankful for beginnings, as they remind us of the new beginning we always find in the steadfast love of God.
New beginnings are a time to dream, which is why our theme for Advent is Those Who Dream! Advent begins with our anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Like the expectations of a Messiah over two thousand years ago, we await the grace of God, which comes to us in Jesus the Christ. We await the hope, peace, joy, and love of God, coming to redeem creation!
We hope for peace and find joy in love, as it re-creates the world around us to look a little more like the kingdom of God, or the way in which God wants the world to look. This is the dream of Advent, as we allow God’s grace to change how we dream!
Dreams can be dismissed easily! A student day dreaming in class is asked to focus. When someone chimes into a conversation saying, “You will not believe my dream last night,” we are not sure what to make of it. Dreams are not a serious currency, but perhaps they should be. Our dreams can make room for a new reality.
We can dream of hope for those who are fighting despair. We can dream of peace in the face of division. We can dream of joy for our loved ones, especially when they are hurting. We can dream of a world defined by God’s love! When we dream, we can make room for our holy imaginations to envision new possibilities.
As we await the birth of Jesus, we are invited to dream of hope, peace, joy, and love. This year is a good year for us to dream! We have faced the limitations of a pandemic and the health concerns of an illness. We have seen division, and we have felt despair. We dream alongside of Advent, reminded that God’s love is stronger than everything we have faced. We can renew our dreams of a world, which echo the steadfast love of God!
-Tripp