Advent is About Anticipation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We live in a time which does not do anticipation well. We want our gratification, and we want it now. We mash everything together into "holiday"\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/strategicmonk\/2014\/12\/06\/advent-is-about-anticipation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Advent is About Anticipation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We live in a time which does not do anticipation well. We want our gratification, and we want it now. 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{"id":10381,"date":"2014-12-06T04:40:10","date_gmt":"2014-12-06T12:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.strategicmonk.com\/?p=10381"},"modified":"2014-12-06T04:40:10","modified_gmt":"2014-12-06T12:40:10","slug":"advent-is-about-anticipation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/strategicmonk\/2014\/12\/06\/advent-is-about-anticipation\/","title":{"rendered":"Advent is About Anticipation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"3507586526_719546ab4d\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

We create new ways to \u201ccelebrate\u201d immediately, like\u00a0Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Now Black Friday begins on Wednesday or Thursday; Cyber Monday has become Cyber Week.<\/p>\n

My church is countercultural. We celebrate Advent, a month-long season of anticipation.<\/p>\n

Advent\u00a0is not the anticipation of shaking wrapped packages to figure out what is inside. It is not the anticipation of racing through weeks in a headlong rush to the end of the year. Advent is not the anticipation of struggling to go to one more party or follow one more tradition. Advent is not about hurrying, or stressing, or working ourselves into a frenzy to meet expectations.<\/p>\n

Advent is about taking time to remember and to look ahead.<\/p>\n

Advent is not eager to put this year behind us. We pause to take a breath, to savor what makes this year remarkable. We recall and share our stories, rediscovering truths we may have missed or forgotten. We confess our weaknesses, and look for ways to become stronger.<\/p>\n

We take time to remember, to reflect, to restore the spiritual life that gets lost in all the things we try to do. Advent is a time for being, more than doing.<\/p>\n

Advent anticipates like the face of a familiar canine friend, as eager to sit and reflect as to take an ambling walk. Advent looks us in the eye to see\u00a0whether we remember, to appreciate\u00a0the depth of our anticipation.<\/p>\n

What does this Advent find you anticipating?<\/p>\n

Where do you anticipate light shining in the darkness?<\/p>\n

[Image by\u00a0WhitA<\/a><\/strong>]<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"