An Advent Bucket List

I was reading an Advent devotional last week when I ran across a question that is commonly asked but it struck in the setting of preparing for Advent. "What would you do today if you knew Jesus was coming back in the next 24 hours." I suspect we have all been asked that question. Evangelists love to to use it as a challenge to those who aren't followers of Jesus. But it's a worthwhile question to ask Christians as well.

I immediately thought of the film The Bucket List. The movie centers on 2 men with terminal cancer who set out to do all those things they wanted to do in life but put off. What if we as Christians carried Advent bucket lists -- things I want to do in service to God's reign in the world before either I meet God or Jesus returns?

Many of those items might be very small and that's good -- Jesus spoke of the power of yeast and mustard seeds. Some might be the larger projects that will take consistent time and commitment and that's good also. What would you put on your Advent bucket list?

A Thanksgiving Prayer by Brian McLaren

Brian McLaren shared some thanksgiving prayers on his blog:

I particularly liked this one:

3.
God of my grandparents, I thank you for them.
God of my parents, I thank you for them.
God of my children, I thank you for them.
God of my grandchildren, I thank you for them.
God of my siblings and cousins, my aunts and uncles,
I thank you for them all.
God of my friends, I thank you for them.
God of strangers, I thank you for them.
God of farmers and harvesters, drivers and grocers,
Cooks and dishwashers, builders and makers,
And all to whom I am connected,
I thank you for them all.
God of my enemies, I thank you for them.
God who was, I thank you for the departed.
God who is, I thank you for my companions.
God who is to come, I thank you for my descendants
And all their friends and neighbors.
My God, for the joy of having a place in this expanding family,
I thank you for the chance to be
Me. Thank
You!

What are you waiting for?

Advent approaches. It is the season of anticipation and waiting the 4 weeks before Christmas. William Brown says that "'Waiting for God' is no passive endeavor; it involves painful longing and bold allegiance, in short, a passionate patience'"

So what are you waiting for? Not just your average, everyday waiting, but that deep longing? This kind of waiting is often painful. I can think of things I yearn to see in my life and the life of loved ones. I have deep longings for the nation and world.

Maybe another way of asking the question, is what keeps you up at night. Maybe that's the best time to identify that deep longing, that passionate patience in your life.