As the nights get longer, and Christmas decorations go up, we often notice that what we really long for is connection.  We want connection to friends, to traditions from childhood, or to new traditions. We want connection to our own hearts and thoughts and to our own purpose. It can seem like we're always waiting for something to fall into place, for someone to arrive, or for something new to happen. The church observes these feelings with a season of waiting called Advent.

No matter how you've been feeling in this month of waiting: whether you've been searching for connection, or if you've been surrounded by family and friends, whether you've been seeking a place for rest from the world, or a place to get active in community justice initiatives and volunteering, we all need a Place for Embrace. We all need a place where we matter. We all need a place where we are accepted for who we are, and a place that challenges us to be the best version of ourselves.

Jesus embraced people from all walks of life and from across social, religious, economic, and ethnic divides. He tells those that follow him that they will always have a place prepared for them (John 14:1-6). Maybe, this year, as you wait for what's next, you will find that St. Andrew's is one of the places that God has been preparing for you; A Place for Embrace.