The season of Advent invites us to renew our wonder at the mystery of Christ’s incarnation and to renew our commitment to Christ’s presence in our hearts and in our actions.

One way to embrace this season of preparation is to think of Christ coming three times: past, present, and future. He came in the flesh as a baby; now, he comes spiritually to enter each of our hearts; at the end of times, he will come in glory. This way of framing the coming of Christ dates back to medieval mystic Bernard of Clairvaux, and was taken up by Lutherans during and after the Reformation.

The twofold coming of Christ – at Christmas and at the Day of Judgment – is familiar. The beauty of adding the spiritual coming is the renewed personal connection with Jesus that will enrich our devotional lives and let Christ’s light shine through us.

“Into the flesh, this one has passed.
Into our hearts, this one happens daily;
for the Judgment, this one lies in the future.”

From an instruction book for children by Johann Joachim Neudorf, 1727

In the busy weeks before Christmas, make a little extra time on Sunday mornings to contemplate what these weeks really mean. Beginning on November 27, the four Advent seminars will guide our waiting and preparation for the joy of Christ’s incarnation. Read more about Westminster Seminars here.

Dr. Steven Tuell, Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Old Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, will present “Isaiah ‘Twas Foretold It,” based on the Hebrew Bible readings for Advent. All are from Isaiah, and all have an intriguing forward focus, allowing us to think about the way that prophecy works and how the Gospel writers (Matthew in particular) shaped their understanding of Jesus using Isaiah as a template.

– Sara Kyle