December 13, 2007
by Clifton Kirkpatrick
General Assembly Stated Clerk

LOUISVILLE – Happy New Year!

Some of you may think I am a month too early in saying that familiar phrase. However, the Christian year starts with Advent, not on January 1st. It all begins with the joyous expectation that God will enter human history in the form of a child and that the Word will once again be made flesh.

Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the year, both for the gatherings with family and friends and the glitter of the season (I'm hooked!). Even more importantly, it is one of my favorites because of the hope that the promise of Jesus coming into the world anew offers to me, to my family, to this church, and to the world.

I imagine you have many Advent and Christmas traditions that bring you joy. I find great joy through an activity in which I would never have imagined myself participating even a decade ago.

Each year at this time, I join with my colleagues in other communions that hold similar positions to engage in a retreat at the National Cathedral. Twenty-four hours of the retreat is in silence. Most of those who know us best don't believe that we who gather have the capacity to be silent for twenty-four hours! But we do, and what a blessing it has proved to be to each of us, to our group, and to our ministry of leadership in our churches.

After an afternoon of sharing our spiritual autobiographies over the past year, we enter the time of silence to pray deeply for one another, our churches, and our world – and to wait upon God. Twenty-four hours later, we come out of silence in a service of Holy Communion, a wonderful party, and another rich time of sharing.

In the midst of the beauty of the cathedral and all of its sights and sounds during Advent, there is a real sense of the presence of God among us. There is also great joy as we wait for the coming of Christ into our world again.

The retreat enables me the time and space to pray much more widely and intensively than is often possible. I pray by name for so many of you, for your congregations and ministries, and for the mission we share together as Presbyterians. I always leave this retreat with a special sense of gratitude to God for having placed me in such a wonderful community of disciples of Jesus Christ.

While the form may differ, I hope many of you will also find a sense of renewal in prayer and silence before God this Advent. There really is a special power in the midst of such a busy season to take time to hear the "still small voice of God" (Ps. 46:10).

Finding time to be quiet and be with God is one of the best ways to truly experience the joy of waiting and expectation for the coming of our Lord. I commend it to you!

Presbyterian News Service