A New Snack and a Slow Turn

Christmas crunch. 

It could be any manner of Christmas snack treat—in my opinion.  But my wife was talking.  And not about snacking. 

“I hate the Christmas crunch—and I can’t even believe those words are coming out of my mouth!” she said in the car as we were driving to my office. 

It might be because this year, Advent is cut to its cheapest number of days.  4 weeks of promised hope smashed down into a few hours more than three.  The “pressure” of the season was getting to her. 

Christmas cards. 

Present wrapping. 

House decorations. 

Scheduling the last of the family activities that “we do every year.” 

She was up against figuring out “how are we going to do all this with one less weekend,” though she didn’t really want to admit it. 

Today, in my advent devotional, Christmas crunch was also redefined. 

“[Christmas] is about change of heart and change of life that are rooted in trust in the promises of God that are as sure as they are slow.” 

And while usually in Advent Christmas’s arrival does seem slow… apparently this year, it’s been sped up. 

Christmas will be here before we know it! 

And oddly, though time is short, I’ve already made plans for services and sermons for the last two weeks of Advent and Christmas Eve.  Plans are coming together.  Items are falling into place.  It feels right, and nice and I’m anxious for the celebrations. 

And though these days seem filled with terrors and perils and bad news cycles; more stories of sexual assaults, or presidential lies and threats, and the promise of finally-passed legislation that holds bad news for the poor and gifts for the rich—there is also this sense that the promised world of Jesus will yet come to be. 

Or as one of my new favorite Advent hymns proclaims:

“My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great, and my spirit sings of the wondrous thing that you bring to the ones who wait.  You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight, and my weakness you did not spurn, so from east to west shall my name be blest.  Could the world be about to turn?  My heart shall sing of the day you bring.  Let the fires of your justice burn.  Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn.” 

Come quickly, Jesus—we are busy! 

So, come quickly, Jesus—lest you run out of time! 

Come quickly, Jesus—because the world is changing! 

 © Rev. David Stipp-Bethune; Teaching Elder and Pastor, The First Presbyterian Church of El Dorado, Arkansas