Advent: from Latin meaning Arrival or Coming

We are familiar with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – the journey of Ebenezer Scrooge as he is changed by visiting Christmas past, present and future. We, like Ebenezer, look to the past, present and future as we observe Advent.

We look to "Advent Past" to celebrate the arrival of our Savior over two thousand years ago. We are familiar with that first arrival of Christ that we celebrate during this Christmas Season. We know the prophesies of the Old Testament prophets that were fulfilled at the miraculous birth of our Savior. A young virgin gave birth to a son, The Messiah, conceived by the Holy Spirit. This young infant was whisked away by His parents to Egypt at the direction of an angel to avoid the murderous plans of Herod. They returned to Nazareth to raise their son. At age 12 they went to Jerusalem where this boy amazed the leading teachers of the day with His insight into Scripture. And then he seemingly disappears. . . until about age 30 when he begins preaching and bidding people to follow Him to become fishers of men.

He spent three years teaching these men, and others, the ways of the Kingdom of God. He steadfastly sought the will of our Heavenly Father. He lived a perfect life while at the same time performing miracles that would inspire people to proclaim Him as Messiah. After agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane about the unfolding events in front of Him, He once again submitted to the will of God and died on a Cross for our sins and the sins of the World. He was raised on the third day victorious over death and sin. These historical facts changed the course of history and have transformed countless lives.

We look to “Advent Future” and the coming arrival of Christ – His return. We don’t know all the facts of those events that have yet to take place. We do know that He is coming again for His Church and to fulfill His promise that all who know Him as Lord and Savior will spend eternity with Him in Heaven. These bookends of the Gospel Story are two essential teachings of Christian belief and doctrine – the cornerstone of our Faith. These two Advents, or arrivals, of Christ Jesus compel us to hold fast to the Salvation He affords all who follow Him. But does "Advent Past" and "Advent Future" comprise the entire story of the arrival of Jesus Christ?

We are “Advent Present”. John 20:19-23 states: “So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them. ‘Peace be with you.’ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side, The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained’” (NASB).

The Children of Israel anxiously awaited “Advent Past”, that arrival of The Messiah that shook the foundations of history. Christians excitedly await “Advent Future” that will shake the foundations of the world. Today, people are searching for “Advent Present” – an encounter with God that will shake the foundations of their lives. “Advent Present” was initiated by Jesus when He said: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” He sends us into this world just as He was sent; Humbly but with intentions to see the world changed by following God’s plan for our lives. We are the present arrival of Jesus, proclaiming through our words and deeds the redemption that can be found in Christ Jesus. We extend Christ’s forgiveness to this World. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” Matthew 9:37-38 (NASB).

Let’s be “Advent Present”, not only this Christmas, but throughout the year. When we go to work, to the ballpark or to class may people find in us the arrival of the Peace, Hope and Forgiveness of Jesus. When we are “Advent Present” they can come to discover the arrival of their Advent present – the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Since its inception, Baptist Campus Ministries, or Baptist Student Union as it was known in 1920, placed and continues to place an emphasis on equipping students for vocational ministry. The founding rationale for BSU/BCM was “The winning of others to Christ and his church; the enlistment of Christians in Bible and Mission Study; the training of individuals in the practice of Stewardship and Service as taught in the New Testament; the calling out the called for special service, and the utilizing of Christian workers in denominational activity.”[1]

We initiated a “Vocational Minister’s Roundtable” at the BCM at UAB in 2014 to help aid us in “calling out the called for special service”. The concept is fairly simple. In addition to the ongoing discipleship these students are involved in, three to four times each year students who are called to vocational ministry meet for a meal. A pastor or other minister is invited to join us for dinner which includes a two to three hours long discussion about vocational ministry. The students benefit from listening to pastors and others as they give practical insights into the opportunities and challenges of vocational ministry. There is also a “Question and Answer” time which allows students to inquire about specific concerns they may have as they begin the journey of vocational ministry.

In addition to this time with experienced ministers we also equip students in the proclamation aspect of vocational ministry. Each Spring we invite junior and senior students called to ministry to speak at one of our weekly worship services, “ABLAZE”. The students agree to meet with me to discuss the passage of scripture they are going to use as the text for their message. The students are guided on how to develop a sermon outline from Scripture and how to effectively use illustrations in their message; a “preaching lab” if you will. Within a few days after a student speaks, the student meets with the campus ministers for feedback, evaluation, encouragement and pointers on how to be a more effective communicator. Some of the most impactful messages in our ministry are delivered by these students.

The last avenue of equipping I will mention is to attempt to give students practical experience in a local church. This sometimes comes through helping place students as part-time student ministers or children’s ministers. Other times, when I am called to fill the pulpit at a church and I already have a commitment, I recommend a student to be the guest preacher. Students also help with Disciple-Now weekends at local churches among other places of service.

There is no magic elixir or one perfect way to equip college students for vocational ministry. It does take focused effort. The ways students have been equipped for ministry has varied during the first century of BCM work on college campuses. It will continue to change. I am certain, however, that as we move into our second century of Baptist ministry on college campuses we will continue the founding principle of “calling out the called for special service”.
 
   [1] Joseph P. Boone, It Came to Pass: The Birth, Growth, and Evaluation of The Baptist Student Union and The Baptist Chairs of Bible (Ann Arbor, MI: Edward Bothers, Inc., 1953), 18.

Dyeing Easter Eggs, Easter baskets, Easter bunnies, Easter dresses, Easter gifts and Easter egg hunts. This is the stuff of modern Easter celebrations in the U.S. In addition, there is an annual family gathering for lunch, usually right after attending Easter services at church and just before the Easter egg hunt.

Don’t get me wrong, minus wearing Easter dresses, I have enjoyed involvement in all of these traditions throughout my life. I recall the competition with my siblings and cousins to find the most eggs during our egg hunts. I recall community egg hunts on the day before Easter. I remember the feast my grandmother prepared. I remember my own children hunting eggs and the dresses my Mom made for my daughters every Easter. There are a lot of sentimental memories tied up in Easter.

I have thought a lot about Easter traditions the past couple of years. Covid-19 disrupted Easter plans and traditions last year. This year churches were able to gather again for worship. Easter Services at church meant a lot more to me this year.

My wife’s family gathers at her grandmother’s home in Collinsville, Alabama every Easter Sunday for lunch and an egg hunt for the young children. This year, one of my nephews brought a friend from college with him and my daughter brought her boyfriend with her. This got me to thinking that Christians have a tremendous opportunity to utilize Easter for more than family traditions. It also struck me that there could be more effort taken to encourage Christians to dedicate Easter Sunday to outreach and evangelism.

I began to think about the possibilities to invite non-believers, including International Students, neighbors, work associates, friends from the ballpark, among others to church on Easter Sunday and join me for lunch at my home or the home where the family gathers. This would be a step to ensure that Easter Sunday focuses on the Risen Lord and His Salvation. It would change a little of the dynamic of Easter Sunday, but in good ways. We could move from merely creating family memories to facilitating peoples’ encounter with the Risen Lord. This is something to think about. Should we begin now laying the foundation for next year to encourage every family in our churches and every student involved in campus ministry to dedicate Easter Sunday to Jesus through outreach and evangelism?

These are tumultuous times in which we live. Since March of 2020 we have witnessed two sitting Justices of The Supreme Court threatened in a speech on the steps of the Supreme Court, The President of the United States rushed to the Safe Room in the basement of the White House because of protests outside, and just recently, members of the House and Senate were evacuated as we viewed the Capitol Building of the United States being occupied by protesters. All three branches of our Federal Government have come under verbal and/or physical attack in the past ten months. How should we as Christians respond?

One passage of Scripture that comes to mind is Romans 12:18. “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (RSV). First, Christians must speak out against all violence and violent rhetoric with the temerity to condemn inappropriate and dangerous actions and speech, whether we support or disagree with the politics of the people perpetrating the violence or spouting the rhetoric. This passage of scripture serves as a reminder that our concerns, in our call as Christians, reside on a higher plane than political opinions, causes and agendas. It bids us to refrain from erecting unnecessary barriers between us and other people, many of whom we are trying to engage with the Gospel and Christian Discipleship.

Another passage of Scripture that comes to mind is Philippians 4:6-7. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NASB). Fear is a powerful seducer of people. When we see tumult in our nation, or in our personal lives, it is first and foremost a call to prayer. This act of faith will guard us from making statements or taking actions that do not reflect the character of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This submission to the one, true God will give us confidence and peace which will help us see beyond the immediate circumstances of current events to move us to renew our faith in God’s will and purpose for His Church and Her people.

The final passage of Scripture I will mention is Matthew 28:18-20. “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’” (NASB). Jesus was reminding His followers that he possesses all authority over everything in the universe. I imagine if I had been in the company of His followers that day, I would have expected something different to be said after the phrase “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” I can imagine a pregnant pause after this phrase and then the astounding words Jesus shared with those gathered with Him. He gave His followers, and by extension us, the appropriate use and implementation of His authority – to make disciples through going, proclaiming, and teaching others to follow the commands of Jesus.

There are many good causes that can be found in this world. But divorced from The Great Commission and its call to discipleship, they have no hope of changing the hearts and minds of men and women, transforming them, and us, into new creatures in Christ Jesus. This is the cause worthy of our energy. This is the cause worthy of our lives. This is the cause that sets us apart from the tumult of world events, not to enjoy a passive existence, but to bring the hope of the Gospel to fruition in the lives of God’s cherished creation – People.