It is a strange thing. At the beginning of our preparation for Christmas, the gospel is about the end of the world. And yet, it is not surprising. For what is already contained in a small beginning is most easily recognized in its great ending. What is truly meant by the arrival of the Savior with his great “advent, what has already happened there, is best seen in the completion of this arrival, which we commonly and somewhat mistakenly call his “second advent.” In reality, it is the completion of his one advent that is still in progress.
This is why our church’s Advent is not a mere remembering of something that has gone by, but people’s entry in faith and hope and love into a development that started when God himself stepped into the history of his world and made this history his own.
Scripture reference: Luke 21:25-33
Karl Rahner, The Mystical Way in Everyday Life, Orbis Books, 2010, p.1.
Looking for More Inspiration?
Don’t Miss
The Latest From Our Blog
Check out articles, featured illustrations, and book reviews on all different topics related to ministry.
New Site Launches Tomorrow!
Watch this Space! Tomorrow (May 29) is the official launch of the new The Pastor's Workshop site! Return to this blog tomorrow morning for a post highlighting the new features and explaining how subscribers can get on and start using the site! Here are some new...
How You Can Prep for Pentecost
This was originally posted on May 12, 2016 on https://huffpost.com Pentecost Came Like Wildfire I'm lying on an ice pack early this morning, doing my back exercises and listening to Pray as You Go, a tool for meditation, with monastery bells, music, and a Bible...
Sacred Spaces: the Church Forests of Ethiopia
Let's Go to Ethiopia! Here’s a fun exercise with a spiritual payoff. Go to Google Maps and view aerial images of the South Gondar zone of Ethiopia. Use this button:When the page loads, you'll see a light brown countryside, mostly farmland. There are thin lines of dark...