The Path of Advent

The year before I was born my parents built at house on 20 acres of old pasture land.  As a kid, my dad would mow a pathway in one of the back pastures where we went on walks as much as we could.  Recently, we took Solomon out to the trail for his first walk. When I was younger the trail was mostly covered in grass that required mowing, but I realized this fall that the path has worn down quite a bit over the 35 years it’s been mowed - that it’s now mostly dirt and many spots are shaded by trees that have grown tall without the cows to continually chew them down.  The pathway, however, with its twists and turns, hills and valleys, is still familiar to my body and my senses as I walk it.

As we enter into the season of Advent here at CTK this winter, we begin to travel the pathway of anticipation that leads to the incarnation - the incredible gift of God’s presence among us in the person of Christ.  For many of us, this year this old pathway won’t look the way it always has - without worship in our sanctuary, the Christmas parties and celebrations we’re accustomed to, potentially without the ability to gather with family. My prayer however, is that like the path in the woods of my backyard, the twists and turns, hills and valleys of the pathway of Advent will still feel familiar to you. So, I invite you to enter in fully, to trust this pathway to lead you to the promise of the coming incarnation on Christmas, no matter what.

Blessings as you journey.  

~ Pastor Maria Anderson-Lippert