WAITING AND PREPARING 

Read Matthew 3:1-12

      Advent comes from the Latin, “Adventus,” meaning “to come.” It is that season where we prepare for the “coming” of our God in Christ.

      We do just that, by decorating our Christmas trees at home, which is part of the preparation. Advent is a continual reminder of God’s saving and loving action towards us.

      We wouldn’t have our children or grandchildren unwrapping their gifts on December 15, would we? One thing we’ve gotten right amidst all the commercialist is that we wait anxiously to open our presents on Christmas morning. Why? Why not open them earlier? Nobody’s stopping us. We can have Christmas right now, if we want it!

      But we don’t.

      All that is the same preparedness, the same anticipation that we celebrate, anxiously awaiting Christ’s birth. I know I have shaken a present or two before Christmas, wondering what was inside it. Perhaps you have, too?

      That, too, is part of the anticipation, part of the preparation.

      John the Baptist wants you to be prepared, too.

      We are sometimes caught off guard by John’s message, but that’s exactly what it was designed to do.

      He wants us to be ready for Christ’s kingdom.

      He wants us to be prepared.

      How do we prepare for Christ’s arrival?

      At a Special Olympics track meet, a young girl had just won the 50-yard dash and was jumping up and down, all excited.

      She yelled to her parents, “Look, Mom and Dad, I won.”

      Her parents instantly burst into tears.

      At the awards ceremony, the young girl proudly stood there as a medal was placed around her neck. Then she ran over to her parents, who were crying now even more than before.

      The three of them hugged—as the parents kept crying.

      A Special Olympics official who had watched this whole scene became concerned and went over to the parents and said, “Excuse me, is there anything wrong?”

      Through her tears, the mother said, “No, nothing’s wrong.” Everything’s right. We just heard our daughter speak for the first time”.

       Those parents had been waiting for that moment for a very, very long time. They had been prepared for that moment ever since their daughter was born.

      How do we prepare for Christ’s arrival in our midst—once again?

      How do we prepare?

Prayer

            Gracious God, we hear the promise of the coming of Jesus into a manger and into our hearts and homes. Bless our Advent waiting; fill our worship with anticipation of your love; and dedicate us to prepare your way by lifting up the valleys in our lives and making smooth the rough places of others. For we pray in the name of Emmanuel—God with us. Amen.

                                                                                        --The Rev. Dave Burnett