John 1:1-2

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. (NRSV)

It’s the first day of Advent. Wait. Prepare. Make ready. The world around us says it is Christmas. It is not. Not yet. It’s coming, but it is not here yet. You’ve been hearing “Christmas Music” for some time already. If it brings you joy, then enjoy it. The world and the life of faith are intertwined but are not the same. Put yourself in the place of pre-Christmas Judeans. They didn’t know what was coming, but they were hopeful that something would come. They expected a warrior, they were given an infant. They expected regime change, they were given an opportunity to change their hearts. They expected strength, they were given community, forgiveness, grace, and love. What are you expecting? What are you hoping for?

The song is plaintive. It not only speaks of longing, the musicality embodies it. It is in a minor key (indicating sadness, melancholy, unsettledness). The song exhorts us to rejoice, briefly moving through a major chord (upbeat, optimistic) and then returns to mostly minor chords. The rhythm is not straightforward and simple. It meanders and blends. Words are stretched over moving musical phrases. There is beauty in that fluidity. We are not certain of what is to come and must pay attention. We must choose when to breathe, how to break up the words to fit the melody. This recording differs some from the more common version we often sing. Your preparation may look different than your neighbors’. Your hopes and expectations probably do so as well. The writer perfectly captures the mystery, the waiting, the preparation, the hope that John proclaims: The Word was G-d and was in the beginning with G-d. The Word is about to be with us. Are you preparing?

Contributed by Rob Button