Happy New Year! (the new liturgical church year: Advent)

by Pat Laster

 

In liturgical churches, the four weeks preceding Christmas—called Advent—is a time to celebrate –and prepare for --the coming of Jesus. The following devotional was written last year and published in a booklet of Advent readings collected, compiled and printed by my friend Dorothy Hatfield of Beebe, who does this each year as her gift to the church and community.
           

                                     “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.”

 Advent after Advent after Advent, we sing this 267-year-old hymn by Charles Wesley.

And Christmas after Christmas after Christmas, we sing “We Would See Jesus,” written in 1913. During the church year, we sing “Turn Your eyes Upon Jesus,” from a poem written in 1922.

                Well, folks, in 2011, I saw Jesus! Of all places, Jesus was sitting in a booth in Benton’s La Hacienda. He was alone and facing us as we were led to our booth behind him. He was young, with kind eyes, straight brown hair falling to his shoulders--he could have stepped out of the picture of Jesus found in nearly every church and in many homes.

 His laptop was open. He looked up and smiled as we passed. I glanced back and saw what appeared to be a screen of emails.

                The waiter took our order, and I goofed by asking for one thing when I meant another.

In a minute or two, Jesus turned in his booth and genially commented about my mistaken order. We laughed.

                Once during our meal, I looked up and Jesus was gone. Had he vaporized or “vibrated to another level,” as a friend described a disappearance? The word we use is “ascended.”

                No, Jesus was visiting with people at a nearby table. He might have been preaching, but I doubt it. He returned to his booth and laptop. As we left, I caught his eye and waved. He said, “Have a nice day.”

                J. Edgar Park, nearly a century ago, took the first line from another person’s hymn, “We Would See Jesus, for the shadows lengthen,” and wrote his hymn to express “youth, promise and sunshine and an inner glimpse of the Young Man of Nazareth living and moving among us.”

                What if? Some believe angels live among us, why not Jesus, whom this young man resembled?

Why not? Crowds weren’t flocking around. I wish I’d passed my napkin to him for an autograph. I wish I’d asked him if other folks had mentioned his resemblance to Our Savior. Sigh . . .

This experience led me from pray-singing “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” through “We Would [hope to] see Jesus,” to “I’ve Just Seen Jesus,”  to the mantra, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, and... find that the things of earth” are mere trifles.

During this Advent season, this run-up to Christmas, will we see Jesus in others? Will others see Jesus in us?

 

c 2011 by Pat Laster dba lovepat press, Benton AR