Good morning…
Luke 3:4 whispers, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” In his chaplain’s devotional message this week, my husband Steve remembers with us the focus of this Advent season. May we practice the presence of the living Christ born in and through us today.
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“Prepare the Way of the Lord” by Rev. Steve Allen – December 6, 2021
My earliest memories of Advent have to do with the advent calendar. Each day from December 1st to December 25th we opened a different window of our family’s advent calendar; the excitement building to a crescendo with the opening of the window on Christmas morning where there was a picture of the baby Jesus lying in a manger. As kids we always fought over who got to open that day’s window.
Everything about advent is build up to December 25th; from the advent calendar, to the coming of the Elf, to the 25 days of Christmas on ABC, to the buying and wrapping of gifts; the four weeks of advent point us ahead to that one day. Not only that, the biblical texts during advent typically look ahead as well. “Prepare the Way of the Lord” – spoken by the prophet Malachi and reiterated by John the Baptist point towards one particular event on one particular day in the future – the coming of the Christ on Christmas day.
And yet, perhaps we’re not supposed to spend the next couple of weeks getting ready for something yet to happen. Perhaps preparing the way of the Lord has less to do with the future and more to do with what we should be doing right here, right now on December 6th (or whatever day you happen to read this devotional). Perhaps we should spend less of our December preparing for what’s yet to come and more of our time preparing for how we’re going to live this particular day. Perhaps Advent has us so focused on Christmas that it’s lost its importance for all the other days in December.
When I was growing up, the minister at our church would start the service by stepping up to the pulpit and inviting us to prepare ourselves for worship. He called it Practicing the Presence of God. Then he would sit back down and give us a few moments to get ourselves in the right frame of heart and mind. I usually spent my time drawing pictures or rifling through my mom’s purse looking for gum. Perhaps I should’ve appreciated more what preparing for worship was all about. The minister was encouraging us to center on the moment – to block out the pains and regrets of the past as well as the stresses and worries of the future and be fully present in worship, right then, right there. We were being invited to simply be present.
Perhaps, preparing the way of the Lord has as much to do with today as it does with something we’ll celebrate on December 25th. December is a whirlwind of gift buying, class/advisory parties, family gatherings, grading finals, attending Christmas concerts. It’s a pretty stressful month. What a shame if God’s presence were only to be available to us on December 25th when we so desperately need it now. So this morning I invite you to practice the presence of God – prepare yourself for the coming of the Christ, today. Take a deep breath – allow God’s Spirit to fill you. Leave the past behind and let go of your concerns about what’s coming in the rest of December. Let’s practice the presence of God – preparing ourselves for what God will do in and through us today.
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Take a deep breath. Actually take about five. Slow in. Hold still. Slow out, relaxing.
Allow God’s Spirit to fill you. Full. Thick. In this moment.
Let’s practice the presence of God – preparing ourselves for the coming of the living Christ who is being born in and through us today.
Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:11, NLT).
…Sue…
