A Season of Holy Anticipation

Beloved in Christ,

As we enter my first December together in Georgia, my heart is full. Advent has always been one of the church’s most tender seasons—four weeks framed around promise, hope, and the steady whisper that God is not finished with us yet. It is the time when we lean forward with expectation, trusting that Christ comes to us again and again: in our worship, in our communities, and in the quiet corners of our lives.

For many of us, this is also one of the busiest months of the year. Sanctuaries are being decorated, bulletins prepared, Christmas programs rehearsed, sermons polished, and calendars stretched to their limits. We pour ourselves out joyfully for the congregations we love, and yet, if we are not careful, the doing of Advent can overshadow the receiving of Advent.

So, I want to offer a gentle word to all who serve—pastors, elders, musicians, volunteers, and every soul who helps shape worship during these holy weeks:

Take a moment.

Pause long enough to breathe in the promise that Christ is coming—not because we have prepared perfectly, but because God is faithful.

Advent invites us to wait, but not passively. It is a patient, hope-filled watching. It is tuning our hearts to recognize the ways God’s gift of love is already moving through our communities: in acts of kindness between neighbors, in congregations supporting one another, in prayers whispered for peace, in moments where light breaks through even the heaviest of days. The Christ we anticipate is not distant; He is near, renewing us even as we lead others toward Bethlehem.

My prayer for this Advent is simple: that each of us—across every congregation and ministry in Georgia—will make room in our own spirits for Christ to be born anew. May we find holy rest amid the work, sacred joy amid the schedule, and a renewed sense of God’s abiding presence in every step we take.

Christ is coming.

Christ is already here.

And the love of God continues to be revealed in us and through us.

Grace and peace to you in this blessed season of waiting,

Rev. Dr. Adam Harmon
Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Georgia

This message appeared in the December Regional Newsletter. If you missed it, read more in the Regional Newsletter Archives here. Or sign up to receive the monthly newsletter here.