Hi, Janet Tronstad here, just back from church. I thought I'd share a thought from the sermon I heard on how Advent can be an unsettling time for people. And think of the first Advent -- the wise men didn't know really where they were going, they were following a star, but they didn't know how long it would take or where they would end up; Mary and Joseph were being asked to take a trip when they probably wondered why God wasn't allowing them to stay home for the birth of the child; when Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem they couldn't even get a room -- they would be justified in wondering if God had forgotten all about them. I was reminded recently how the Advent season can make people feel something is wrong because they are experiencing the kind of unsettled feeling Mary and Joseph might have felt. What reminded me was a letter from a reader thanking me for including one character in my 'Silent Night in Dry Creek,' who didn't have a lot of happy Christmas memories and who felt leftout rather than included in the Advent season. I must admit I've had some Advent seasons when I felt leftout for one reason or another and it has made me more sensitive to others who feel that way. How about you?
Monday, December 7, 2009
Advent Can Be An Unsettling Time
Hi, Janet Tronstad here, just back from church. I thought I'd share a thought from the sermon I heard on how Advent can be an unsettling time for people. And think of the first Advent -- the wise men didn't know really where they were going, they were following a star, but they didn't know how long it would take or where they would end up; Mary and Joseph were being asked to take a trip when they probably wondered why God wasn't allowing them to stay home for the birth of the child; when Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem they couldn't even get a room -- they would be justified in wondering if God had forgotten all about them. I was reminded recently how the Advent season can make people feel something is wrong because they are experiencing the kind of unsettled feeling Mary and Joseph might have felt. What reminded me was a letter from a reader thanking me for including one character in my 'Silent Night in Dry Creek,' who didn't have a lot of happy Christmas memories and who felt leftout rather than included in the Advent season. I must admit I've had some Advent seasons when I felt leftout for one reason or another and it has made me more sensitive to others who feel that way. How about you?
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