The Advent Banquet  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for  the former things have passed away."                                                    – Revelations 21:1-4

Let the Feast Begin!  We just recently celebrated American Thanksgiving—man do I love Thanksgiving!  A day or two is dedicated to the task of setting the finest of culinary delicacies before you—turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce, rolls, etc. … and all drowning in a super-sized portion of gravy!  And all followed by multitudinous home-baked pies!  Wow!  Anyway, from my perspective, the season of Advent is like that.  Heaven, hope, God as King, Jesus coming again, going home, the full establishment of God’s kingdom, everything finding its “yes” in him—the “Advent Banquet” is a season that we set aside to give our hearts and our minds, and indeed our entire lives more fully to the life-giving, spirit-sustaining truths of our faith.  This is a season of preparation, of watching and waiting for the coming King.  We prepare for the celebration of the Incarnation (Christmas), but we especially long for his second coming at the end of the age as we live in this “in between” time.  So with a feast like this set before you—dig in!

Next reflection > Depending on God for everything

Dave Quintana is an elder of The Servants of the Word, a missionary brotherhood of men living single for the Lord. He is also a regional coordinator for the Sword of the Spirit in Europe and the Middle East. He lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.