People, Get Ready! It's Advent!
The season of Advent begins today and I’m glad you’re hear to share it with me! Advent is my favorite liturgical season because it kicks off a new cycle of the Christian Year, telling the story of Jesus all over again. Plus, Advent is about anticipation. I’ll say more about that later, but we have four Sundays to get ready for Jesus coming into the world.
So, join me every week for this Advent celebration. Subscribe to this newsletter to get the latest in your inbox each Friday. It always helps if you’ll hit Like and Share for the newsletter. As always, thanks for joining me here. Now, let’s get on with Advent!
People, Get Ready! Advent Calls for Active Anticipation
Jeremiah 33:14-16 NIV
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. 15 “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’
The Active Anticipation of Advent
“Is it Christmas yet?” Kids of all ages ask that question repeatedly during the month of December. And, to add to our “deck-the-halls” anxiety, American consumer culture counts down the “shopping days until Christmas” daily.
But for those of us who follow a different calendar – the Christian Year – it’s not Christmas yet. It’s Advent, the first season of the Christian Year!
But most Americans already are getting into the Christmas spirit, cranking up the volume on holiday songs like “All I Want for Christmas is You,” by Mariah Carey.
There’s nothing wrong with getting in the spirit of the season. But before we go all cookies-and-chaos, Advent beckons us to slow down, take a step back, and anticipate what God is going to do in this world.
But make no mistake — Advent is not just a month of passively waiting while the rest of the world gets on with Christmas.
Instead, Advent calls us to actively anticipate the world-changing events about to unfold.
This active anticipation requires two indispensable features: hope and preparation. First, hope, because things are going to get better, despite appearances to the contrary. Second, preparation, because there are things we need to do to get ready for God’s new future.
People Get Ready, There’s a Train a-Comin’!
Getting ready is what Curtis Mayfield had in mind when in 1965, the R&B group The Impressions recorded his song, “People Get Ready.” It would become The Impressions’ biggest hit, but its impact didn’t stop there.
Written by Mayfield, this gentle, Gospel-inspired tune quickly transcended its original context to become a powerful symbol of social and spiritual change.
The lyrics of the song express the certain hope that God is busy in the world. Using a train as a metaphor for God’s redeeming work, the first verse goes:
People get ready, there’s a train a comin’
You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’
Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord.
Mayfield drew inspiration from church messages and the long tradition of Black American freedom songs that use trains as a symbol. The idea of a soul’s journey to the next life is transformed into a call for readiness and faith in this one.
Upon its release, “People Get Ready” produced a profound effect in the 1960s and beyond. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. declared the song the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it among the greatest pop songs of all time. The song’s selection into the Grammy Hall of Fame accompanied its preservation in the National Recording Registry due to its “cultural, historic, or artistic significance.”
Curtis Mayfield’s song and its message of hope and preparation resonates deeply with the themes of Advent. Just as Mayfield’s lyrics call people to prepare for a coming transformation, Advent calls us to prepare for the coming of Christ.
The Backstory on Jeremiah’s Prophecy
Of course, the prophets of the Old Testament told their hearers that the Messiah was coming. Over 2,600 years before “People Get Ready” was penned, the prophet Jeremiah encouraged the people of Judah to get ready in hope.
In our passage for the first Sunday of Advent, Jeremiah recites encouraging words from God:
“The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.” (Jeremiah 33:14 NIV)
This message of hope was particularly important in Jeremiah’s day. The Babylonian army had besieged Jerusalem, and the future looked bleak. Ultimately, Babylon would prevail, and Jerusalem fell to defeat. In 586 BC, the Babylonians took the people of Judah hundreds of miles away from their homeland and into captivity.
Yet, even in the face of certain disaster, Jeremiah sounded a note of hope. He looked beyond the Babylonian army surrounding Jerusalem to a day when God’s promise would become reality:
“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; He will do what is just and right in the land.” (Jeremiah 33:15 NIV)
This promise of a “righteous Branch” from David’s line is a prophecy of the coming Messiah. The people of Judah still cherished stories of King David’s courage and legendary leadership, and welcomed a Messiah who was kin to David.
Jeremiah’s prophecy offered hope, not just for deliverance of Judah, but for the renewal of justice and righteousness. The promised Messiah would “do what is just and right in the land.”This was a stark contrast to the corruption and injustice that led to Judah’s downfall.
Living in Active Anticipation
As we begin this Advent season, we too need hope. We need hope for our future just like Judah did.
We need hope for our safety, for our ability to live in peace, and for our children, too. We need this hope that Advent promises in the twenty-first century, just as Judah needed it 26 centuries ago.
But hope alone is not enough. Like the listeners to “People Get Ready,” we are called to prepare, to “get on board” with God’s plan. What is God’s plan, and how can we live in active anticipation during this Advent season?
First, we can cultivate hope. In a world that often seems dark, we can choose to look for signs of God’s faithfulness and God’s kingdom. We find those signs by looking back to God’s grace in dealing with his people from Genesis to Malachi. We also find hope in the fact that the Messiah, whom the prophets promised, did come in Jesus.
Second, we can pursue justice. Jeremiah’s prophecy speaks of a ruler who will “do what is just and right.” What did the Old Testament prophets mean by justice? Justice means making things right in our community and society. It’s about treating everyone fairly, especially those who are most vulnerable. It’s about bringing in the “shalom of God” – the peace that exists when things are as God intended them to be.
Justice is the twin to righteousness which means right relationships among people and with God. The 10 Commandments are divided into two groups for a reason. About half deal with our relationships with each other, and the rest deal with our relationship to God.
Third, we can prepare our hearts. It’s easy to go about the busyness of the season without being spiritually ready. But as the song says, “You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board.” We can let go of what hinders us and open ourselves to God’s transforming work.
Fourth, we can share the message. “People Get Ready” became an anthem of hope for many during the Civil Rights years. Our call to the active anticipation of God’s work through hope and preparation is best shared through our behavior and our benevolence in any season.
Finally, we can act in faith. The song tells us, “All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’.” What acts of faith is God calling you to this Advent? Maybe it’s a word of encouragement to someone who is struggling during this season of the year. Or maybe it’s a word of hope for you, that God is at work, not just in the world, but in your life, too. Whatever it is, God calls us to act, to do something that affirms God’s presence and plan in our time.
As we journey through Advent, let’s live in active anticipation, energized with hope and preparation. The final stanza of “People Get Ready” offers us encouragement for today:
So people get ready, for the train a-comin’
You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith, to hear the diesels humming
Don’t need no ticket, you just thank,, you just thank the Lord.
During this Advent, let’s get ready. The Lord has come, and is coming. And as always, He’s bringing hope, justice, and salvation. Are you ready to get on board?
Let’s pray together.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the hope you offer us this Advent season. Help us to live in active anticipation of your coming. Renew our faith, strengthen our resolve to pursue justice, and open our hearts to your transforming work. May we be ready to see you anew this Christmas. Amen.
Reflections for the Week Ahead
As you go through this week, return briefly and reflect on these weekday suggestions for active anticipation:
Monday: Re-read Jeremiah 33:14. Reflect on the phrase “The days are coming.” In what areas of your life or our world do you long for God’s promises to be fulfilled?
Tuesday: Listen to “People Get Ready” by The Impressions, or others who have recorded it. How does its message of preparation resonate with your understanding of Advent?
Wednesday: Consider the “righteous Branch” mentioned in verse 15. How does this image of new growth from old roots speak to you about hope and renewal in your life?
Thursday: The song says, “You don’t need no baggage.” What “baggage” might you need to let go of to better prepare for Christ’s coming?
Friday: Jeremiah spoke words of hope during a time of siege and impending exile. Reflect on a challenging situation in your life. How can you maintain hope and trust in God’s promises?
Saturday: Both Jeremiah’s prophecy and “People Get Ready” speak of justice, which means to do what is right by others. Think of one way you can promote justice in your community this Advent season?
