Advent is a time of waiting with eager expectation for the arrival of the Son of God.  He has promised that he will return and bring in his kingdom, which will be a reign of justice, goodness, and peace.  There will be plenty for everyone and we will all be satisfied.  Our hearts will no longer ache with sadness, regret, or loneliness, nor will they burn with anger and desires for revenge.  We will no longer fear others or plan for their destruction.  We will love and be loved and we will dwell in God’s renewed world with pure joy and complete delight.  We long for that day because that’s not our present experience.

In anticipation of that day, however, we do a few things to enjoy a bit of that reality now by the power of the Spirit.  We gather together to be reminded of God’s goodness, to share our griefs and pains.  We laugh and draw courage from one another and from reminding ourselves of Christian realities.  We eat with the new friends and family that God has given us called the church.  And we participate in this ritual called communion, or the Lord’s Supper.

We do this to remember that God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  We do this to remember that God saved us at the cross of Jesus.  We do this to remind ourselves that though we eat a small chunk of bread now, we will feast with Jesus when he renews creation, freeing it from bondage to decay.

So, when you eat this bread, dipping it into the juice, you are saying “thank you,” you are saying “yes,” and you are saying “come, Lord Jesus.”  Thank God for salvation in Jesus.  Say “yes” to enjoying God’s family now.  And say “come, Lord Jesus,” praying that God will again and very soon send his Son to restore creation and satisfy our hearts.