¹⁴The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 33:14-15)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

We think of the holidays as a time full of traditions and nostalgia. Ironically, Advent anticipates the fulfillment of something entirely different. The reason we have our traditions and celebrations is because God fulfilled the promise to bring the ultimate change.

God entered a broken world to bring wholeness. The promise of a “righteous branch” executing “justice and righteousness” was coming to fulfillment – in the form of an infant, born on the fringes.

The promise God fulfills in Christ is completely different from what the people expected, Jews and Romans alike. The status quo was a leader who used force fear to subjugate the people. People were accustomed to experiencing power that was buoyed by military force, economic influence, even cultural intimidation and religious coercion. Power attained by instilling fear was the norm.

God promises a Messiah. God promises a ruler who is just and righteous. God promises a “suffering servant” (Isaiah 53), a savior who walks in peace and light (Isaiah 9), a new joyful reality where the lion and the lamb feed together (Isaiah 65). God promises something very new. God promises an astonishing change to this world.

This year, Advent will also mark a change in pastorate for this parish. It is an exciting time of discernment and newness. You will be voting on a candidate to be the first called pastor of this parish. I will be beginning a new interim elsewhere. Even in the midst of great excitement, change can also instill fear and anxiety. Even the wondrous birth of Christ had shepherds trembling.

Remember that amid change, God is constant. God’s love and promise of guidance is constant. “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9) God will lead you through discernment and guide your ways according to God’s will.

The Savior comes, “and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.”  (Matthew 1:23b) We celebrate God infiltrating our world and brokenness to bless us, to walk with us, and to save us. God is with us. We pray, confident God does come. As we celebrate the greatest change to the reality of creation with our myriads of traditions, may our prayer always be, “o come, o come, Emmanuel.”

Thank you for your partnership in ministry and God’s blessings on this next leg of your journey together. The grace and peace of the God keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.