The longing of Advent

I love this time of year. I love cold winter weather, holiday parties, snow, time away from work, time with family, the hopes of am NFL playoff berth (though not this year), presents, singing Christmas carols, my mom's homemade toffee & russian tea cakes ... I could go on and on and on.

When I think of December, I think of all those things. But what I love more than all those things combined is the concept of a season of Advent. This word Advent comes from the latin word adventus, meaning "coming." It describes the waiting and expectation of the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

One of the least appreciated things in our culture today is waiting. We don't have any patience. Whether its the drive-thru, an elevator, a stop light - it's hard to wait. Some long for other things - a child, a spouse, a job - and find that patience is wearing thin.

This Advent, my church has been doing an sermon series called Yearning. God's been using this series in my life in several ways - to call me out on my longings, and to remind me that nothing can fulfill like Christ.

I don't have to live in misery with my sin. Transformation is possible through Christ. This is such good news! Yet, I'm still left longing. While I can know Christ on this earth, and experience the presence of God in my life, I won't be able to find full satisfaction to the depths that I desire on this side of heaven. I am finding an unexpected peace this Advent, in knowing that I will probably always be longing something more on this earth - but this longing will be fulfilled, and this transformation I desire will be complete the day I see Jesus face to face.

<< And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. >> philippians 1.6

The danger within Christianity.

AW Tozer said, "What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." If you're a Christian, and you believe in Jesus, chances are you seek to live your life in a way that honors him- telling others about him, giving to those in need, being a good person, etc.

These are great things. The danger lies in the way we relate to God. We can be tempted, in the midst of these great activities, to reduce God to be the means to an end. Whether that end is getting the material things what we want, or achieving our life goals, our lives are about us. We use God to get these things.

Take someone like Mother Teresa. Most of us would agree that she was a phenomenal woman. She lived her life serving the poor and sick around her. Admirable. But even someone as good as Mother Teresa can still using her faith in God to as a means to an end, to give her a sense of purpose for her life. All the good she does becomes about her, and not God.

The difference lies in experiencing God as our treasure. Even if God doesn't give us anything - material possessions, or a ministry to pursue on this earth - he is still available to us, and that's the most amazing thing ever. Do you see him as a means to an end, or as your treasure?

Check out this video from Skye Jethani, where he explains four popular views we have about our relationship to God, and why we might need to rethink our approach.

Let's Go!

The first deadline has passed to apply for our 2012 International Summer Projects. Praise God for: our 124 applicants so far! In 2011, we had 127 students total participate in International Summer Projects. We have over 50 applicants to Ghana! Pray for: France (no men have applied so far); Uruguay & Australia (only a handful of applications are finished); Students who have not finished applications - that they would discern what the Lord would like them to do this summer.