2008 Woodie Awards
CHAPEL: God's people wait
Sam Gregory, Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/20/07
Last Updated: 12/2/07
The role of Christians is to wait, Whitworth Associate Chaplain Andrea Saccoccio said Thursday, in the first Advent chapel service.
Saccoccio talked about how Christians are all waiting for Jesus' second coming, for peace to come and for suffering to end.
"God's people wait," she said. "It's kind of what we do."
Saccoccio read from the book of Luke about the story of the angel telling Mary that she would be pregnant with the son of God. Saccoccio remarked on how bizarre and strange this story is, even though it's so familiar to most Christians.
It must have been very perplexing to Mary, Saccoccio said. A man appears in her bedroom and tells her what God is planning to do with her. Not only that, he's asking her to risk her social life and go against everything she had believed in growing up--in not being pregnant outside of marriage.
But, Saccoccio said, Mary accepts God's plan, and brings the savior of the world into the world.
Saccoccio said Mary didn't just submit herself to do what God wanted; she gave herself as a servant to God.
"It's all about partnering with God in salvation," she said.
Saccoccio talked about a conversation she had with a friend about the second coming of Christ. They talked about the question many people think at some point in their lives: "What if it's all fake? What if we've all been duped and Jesus isn't coming back?"
Maybe we've been waiting for the wrong thing, Saccoccio said. Two thousand years ago the Jews had expected a mighty political leader who would drive the Romans out with the sword, but instead they got Jesus who died for them.
Maybe, Saccoccio suggested, Jesus comes every time we say yes to God and submit ourselves as servants to him.
She said she doesn't know what it will be like when Jesus comes back, except that everything will be better.
"Mourning and grief and loss and pain will be gone," she said.
Contact Sam Gregory at sam.gregory@whitworthian.com.
Saccoccio talked about how Christians are all waiting for Jesus' second coming, for peace to come and for suffering to end.
"God's people wait," she said. "It's kind of what we do."
Saccoccio read from the book of Luke about the story of the angel telling Mary that she would be pregnant with the son of God. Saccoccio remarked on how bizarre and strange this story is, even though it's so familiar to most Christians.
It must have been very perplexing to Mary, Saccoccio said. A man appears in her bedroom and tells her what God is planning to do with her. Not only that, he's asking her to risk her social life and go against everything she had believed in growing up--in not being pregnant outside of marriage.
But, Saccoccio said, Mary accepts God's plan, and brings the savior of the world into the world.
Saccoccio said Mary didn't just submit herself to do what God wanted; she gave herself as a servant to God.
"It's all about partnering with God in salvation," she said.
Saccoccio talked about a conversation she had with a friend about the second coming of Christ. They talked about the question many people think at some point in their lives: "What if it's all fake? What if we've all been duped and Jesus isn't coming back?"
Maybe we've been waiting for the wrong thing, Saccoccio said. Two thousand years ago the Jews had expected a mighty political leader who would drive the Romans out with the sword, but instead they got Jesus who died for them.
Maybe, Saccoccio suggested, Jesus comes every time we say yes to God and submit ourselves as servants to him.
She said she doesn't know what it will be like when Jesus comes back, except that everything will be better.
"Mourning and grief and loss and pain will be gone," she said.
Contact Sam Gregory at sam.gregory@whitworthian.com.
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