During this advent season I’d like to use some traditional but underused themes for the Sunday’s of the season. Traditionally the Days (and their corresponding candles) have been named for Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy. But there is also an additional traditional name for each day and candle — Prophecy, Bethlehem, Shepherds, and Angels. It is this other usage I intend to be following this year. We will also be linking our discussion to specific people from scripture. And our first discussion is Prophecy and its role in our lives as taught by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.
Expectations are funny things aren’t they? They totally shape how we respond to what happens in our lives. An event can be either good or bad, life changing or ho hum depending on our expectations. Prophecy, biblical prophecy, is all about God setting our expectations. A baby born to peasants in a cattle stall in the middle of nowhere is not an earth changing event. Unless you’re expecting it to be the Son of God in which case it is an earth changing event in every sense.