Dear Neighbor,
Today marks the beginning of the advent season. During advent, we look back to the birth of Christ, while looking ahead to his second coming. During advent, a total of four candles are lit, beginning from a single candle, an additional candle is added each Sunday. The first candle is the prophet’s candle, lit on the first Sunday of advent, and it represents hope. The second candle, is the Bethlehem candle, lit on the second Sunday of advent, and it represents faith. The third candle is the shepherd’s candle, lit on the third Sunday of advent, and it represents joy. The fourth candle is the angel candle, lit on the fourth Sunday of advent, and it represents peace. Lastly, on Christmas Eve, a fifth candle is lit, it is the Christ candle, and it represents purity.
I love advent because these symbols are used to preach Christ. By them, Christ is preached in the Catholic Church, in the Anglican Church, in the Baptist and in many other protestant denominations. However, I must confess, especially this year, that I do not enjoy the Christmas season. Christmas outside of the church is a celebration of family and our family has had a lot of pain during the Christmas season.
On Christmas day, 2013, I forced my father on to a stretcher, against his will, by the request of my mother. He was suffering from Parkinson's and dementia; she was frustrated and needed assistance in his care. I believe that it was a bad decision to do this on Christmas day but it was the day that she had arranged. We celebrated Christmas, as a family, one last time, the day before; after which, he was taken to an inpatient hospice, and placed in a nursing whom, in which he died less-than two months later. This is something that I will not forget during this life, and I struggle with to this day.
On Christmas day, 2020, I awoke to a text message, and picture, from my daughter, announcing that she was a homosexual, and engaged to marry another girl. It is impossible for a woman to marry another woman but this is the language that she used. She solidified what I will call a civil union, just a few months later.
So why am I telling you these things? Should I not be painting the world, as a follower of Christ, as if it were all sunshine and rainbows? I am telling you these things because they are the truth. My life is not perfect. I have a great deal of pain in my life but I also have a great deal to be thankful for and even more to look forward too.
I am justified by the grace of God through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus and have the promise of Christ that he will return to raise me from the dead, on the last day. I have a wife who has loved me for 32 years; we became a couple during the Christmas of 1989, and we were married on June 30, 1990. I have a job that allows me to help others through a difficult and scary time in their lives. I have fellowship with other believers at Sylvania Church in Tyler, Texas. The Christmas season is a difficult time for me and it may be for you also, but through celebrating and participating in advent, we can remember the first coming of Christ for our justification and look ahead to the second coming of Christ for our salvation.
Until next week,
Your Servant for Jesus’ sake
