Slow Down
Can we find our way to a more sustainable pace this Christmas?
It’s Advent. The season of anticipation. It could be - it should be - a time to prepare the soul to come alive in wonder, as we celebrate the birth of Christ.
But for most people that is not what Advent will be. Most westerners, Christian or not, skip over Advent and just declare, “It’s Christmas”, somewhere around the start of December. We rush headlong into a season of festivities, friends, family, fun, films, financial-strain, food and flatulence (sorry). We dash from one event to another. We can’t wait for the magic to begin.
And I get it. Really, I do. I love the season. I embrace all of the joy of Christmas, with one caveat: I will journey slowly through this next few weeks, no matter the schedule confronting me. To do this I have to slow my mind, slow my pace. I have to stay present to the day I’m in, stay present to the God I love, stay present to his grace. I have to see the image of God in the people around me. The true magic of Christmas is not found on the Disney channel, or in the shopping mall. It’s found in a soul flooded with light by the awe-inspiring reality of God incarnate. Christ with us, as one of us, is the story that’s too good to be true - but actually is.
Advent has much to teach us about patience, hope, God’s faithfulness, and our dependence upon his timing. I wonder if our rush to celebrate each December actually hampers our life of faith during the rest of the year. Or perhaps it serves as evidence of our impatience. After all, much of the Christian life is about patience, waiting, anticipating, and trusting. Things often happen slowly on God’s calendar, and learning to wait well will save a huge amount of angst in the long run.
Many of us don’t really wait for Christmas though. On with the celebrations! Which means that by the time we actually do get to Christmas and its traditional 12 days of celebrating, we are over it. Down come the decorations a few days later. We’ve ditched 12 days of celebrating Christ in favour of New Years planning, resolutions, and our determination (despite previous evidence) to make this the best year ever. Hmmm.
What if we could just slow down a bit this advent? What if we could breathe, pray, and listen for the quiet whisper of the Holy Spirit each day? What if we pressed into the anticipation and celebration of Christ’s birth with fresh wonder, and thought about the implications for our lives? What if we ditched our plan to make 2025 the year to top all others, and just decided to get closer to Jesus instead? What might that kind of living lead to?
I haven’t always felt this way. For many years I found myself caught up in the same hectic schedule as everyone else. If you are involved in a local church, especially if you sing, play, or speak, you’ll know what a busy time it is. I never resented it - I even quite enjoyed it - but internally I was always just about getting through. Tick off the next thing. Meals and socials, rehearsals for the services, learning new songs, dusting off the carols, trying to stay healthy, squeezing in some shopping, preparing extra messages, it was all a fantastic frazzle. The Christmas period for church leaders can be a bit of a slog. And I wasn’t really there, present to the moment I was in. I was always ahead of myself, lurching towards the next thing. “Let’s get this done and then tomorrow we’ve got…”
Perhaps for some of you, I’ve just described your life. And that is a problem. And you know it is.
My advice? Slow down. I’m learning that I might not be able to do much about the busy-ness of the schedule, but I do have agency over my internal posture. I can journey slowly through even the busiest seasons.
God speaks through the Prophet Isaiah, declaring:
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. (Isaiah 30:15)
There is salvation available in repenting and resting. There is strength that comes from quietness and trusting. Doesn’t that sound so good at this time of year? “But you would have none of it”, adds the Lord. Ouch.
My hope for you, and all those I love, is that we can find our way to a simple, joyful advent season. Enjoy the other stuff too. Hang some lights, eat some meals, do some shopping, wrap some gifts… but through it all pause regularly and remember. Remember that the world was waiting for salvation to come. The world needed hope, just as it needs hope now. Anticipate the celebration of Christ’s Birth. Relish it.
If we can embrace Advent well, I sense it will set us up to actually live well over the coming year, come what may. Advent actually marks the beginning of the Church calendar. It’s wise to begin with a season where we learn to wait, to hope, and to trust. These are the firm foundations of a life of faith.
I hope you have a blessed advent season.
Warmest,
Steve
A Couple Extra Things
For some reading:
The Anticipated Christ - Brian Zahnd
Hidden Christmas - Timothy Keller
For some listening:
Thanks very much Steve,
I really need to hear this. I find it very hard and need to be given permission to slow down. I know that's crazy, but it's as though I'm not doing something for the Lord if I slow down.
I will take heed....
May God continue to anoint your mind as you deliver this sort of message to us. Rho
Dear Steve ,
after suffering a Heart attack last Sunday morning at 4AM ,
Following an Angiogram & fitting of a Stent ,
I feel 💯 Grateful & Blessed to be sat in our Lounge this evening,
Especially after having it explained the severity of the Almost completely blocked artery & what the outcome would have been had I not been taken into hospital 🙈
So ,
I was thinking about The Christmas Season this morning wondering how would I now manage to achieve what was on “ Ruth’s List !!
Church , One Muchly Loved husband 6 grandchildren, 3 daughters, 2 son-in-laws to source gifts for , spend time with , cook for etch ,you will get the idea 😆
Then this evening I went into my Email and read your Email & What The Holy Spirit lead you to share ,
OH MY GOODNESS Steve , in light of what I have shared you will understand HOW MUCH your message Blessed me ,
Thank You,
I will simply do what you have given Gods Wisdom to all who will listen ,
You shared Mana from Heaven and that is to SLOW DOWN ,
(
Taken from Steve’s message)
What if we could just slow down a bit this advent? What if we could breathe, pray, and listen for the quiet whisper of the Holy Spirit each day? What if we pressed into the anticipation and celebration of Christ’s birth with fresh wonder, and thought about the implications for our lives?
The implication will be my greater Anticipation of FRESH WONDER of my life in JESUS ,
AMEN 🙏🏽
Thank you & God Bless You , & your precious family.
From Ruth HEARDSON