Passage for Reflection: Psalm 42:1-2
I’ve spoken with many people who were raised in the church, but in traditions that didn’t include Advent. One of these folks told me that starting to embrace Advent later in life has been meaningful, but that each year the season of waiting and preparation seems longer and more difficult to navigate.
There are times in life when each of us longs for God’s presence with greater intensity than we might have planned or even imagined possible. My most recent experience came as I was transported by ambulance from one hospital to another uncertain of my medical future.
The forty-second Psalm begins with familiar words, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God? (v.1-2, NIV).
My friend who is somewhat new to Advent has seen God show up in unexpected ways, most recently when his thirst for God to be born again (before December 25) became all consuming. After this experience his advice was “be careful what you long for, God may deliver it when you least expect it and in ways that change you.”
My medical situation was resolved with better outcomes than first expected. The bigger news, however, was a reorientation to my calling – a direct result of a divine encounter.
A contemporary paraphrase renders the Psalmist’s plea, “I want to drink God, deep drafts of God. I’m thirsty for God-alive” (The Message)
As you continue on the Advent journey, I encourage you to pay closer attention to your thirsts.
How thirsty are you? How are you thirsty? How will you respond to your longing to drink a living, loving, and life-giving God?
This post was originally published in the Lectionary for Life Series for the Center for Congregational Ethics on December 15, 2022.