Prepare!
When you hear that word this time of year, the first thing that likely comes to mind has to do with the decorations you still need to hang, or the tree you still need to purchase, or the baking you still need to finish, or the gifts you still need to purchase and wrap, or the cards you still need to send...
As wonderful as this time of year can be, the to-do list can become both exhaustive and exhausting this time of year.
In the middle of it all, here comes John the Baptist. He's not dressed appropriately for our parties, with his wild hair and unkempt beard and the hide of a camel barely keeping him covered. Yet it is this unlikely character who delivers perhaps the most important message of the season we need to hear:
"Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight.
Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill leveled.
The crooked will be made straight
and the rough places made smooth.
All humanity will see God's salvation."
This Sunday, we'll take a look at what John's message might mean for us today. Because what we do to make room for Emmanuel, God with us, is the most important work of preparation we could possibly do this Advent.
By the way, if you're like me, music helps prepare your heart this time of year. If you enjoyed the song "Hope for Everyone" in worship last week, check out Advent of Christmas, Matt Maher's wonderful new collection of carols both old and new. If you have Spotify, you can listen to it here.
In Christ's Peace,
