Readings for Advent

The Nazis executed Alfred Delp on February 2, 1945. He was 37 years old and as a Jesuit priest had been convicted for conspiring against Hitler. Advent of the Heart (Ignatius Press, 2006) is a collection of his Advent sermons during the war and writings that he smuggled from his prison cell while awaiting death. Advent held special significance for him in the midst of those darkest days. His writings may touch your heart, too, with that context in mind.

Hope Happenings

Founded in 1928, Hope International University will celebrate its 86th commencement on December 13, 2008.

The Fall 2008 graduates come from a student body of more than one thousand students drawn from 27 states and over 40 countries. These individuals join over 4,000 graduates and more than 10,000 former students who carry Hope International University's legacy of service and ministry to the church and society.

Hope International University
Fullerton  CA  92831

"Advent is the season of surprises. 
It reminds us that God comes into lives in unexpected ways and that the birth of Christ in our lives is messy and unpredictable."
-- Caryll Houselander

Our Advent

This coming Sunday marks the first Sunday of Advent.

The steady countdown is underway-shops waiting for customers; children waiting for their Christmas gifts; parents waiting for their mail-orders; and many folk waiting with dread the loneliness of the day long before it arrives.

We'll experience various forms of waiting. But Advent-the "coming"-reminds us that our most profound wait is not for December 25 but for God Himself.

The announcement to Mary launched a pregnancy that would provoke nine months of pondering and wondering, followed by a birth that seemed far too humble for the Son of God. The newborn babe would hardly change the world in that form. It would be many years before Jesus taught the crowds, healed the sick, and endured the Cross. Meanwhile, Israel suffered and languished under Roman rule.

In our hurry-up world where we need everything yesterday, the idea of waiting for the Lord's timing seems tough-especially when we face a penniless Christmas, a jobless New Year, or a sickness that is consuming us. Why would He not work as quickly as we want Him to? Why would He delay when our need is so urgent? Why doesn't He share our haste for solutions?

We want Him to come quickly and act even more quickly. But He rarely does.

He determines His coming in His own time, and while we chaff under His apparent slowness, He will not be hurried. And Advent, perhaps more than any other season of the year, insists that we be unhurried too.