God is Coming, Ready or Not!

 I am so thankful that Robin puts up with me throughout Advent and Christmas. I don’t think of myself as a rigid person, but apparently, when it comes to the holidays, family members simply roll their eyes at me when I say that. I like to say that there are rituals and traditions that I like to honor. These are the things that bring meaning and joy for me, and enable me to sink into the Christmas story as fully as possible, helping me see signs of God’s coming in my life and in my world once again.

 

Because that is what good rituals do: they help reorient us and attune our senses to see beyond the usual and mundane to see where God is showing up, to lead, heal, challenge, comfort, and call.

 

That’s why I love the season of Advent. These four weeks leading up to Christmas help me prepare to receive God’s gift of Love once again. Throughout the year, there is so much I let get in the way of my walk with God, so many distractions that keep me from listening and looking for God.

 

This year, the church calendar and the secular calendar have nearly undone clergy and lay leaders. Advent is marked by the four Sundays before Christmas. But this year, the fourth Sunday is the 24th, making it Christmas Eve! How does one simultaneously prepare AND receive? Some churches have made the decision to start Advent a week early so that people can have four Sundays to prepare and then experience the wonder and joy of Christmas Eve.

 

Yesterday I wrote a post on FB: “Advent is here! Are you ready for the journey?” To which Pastor Matt Franks replied, “No, but I have found great peace in just letting it happen vs being so stressed about what needs to be done.”

 

Thanks, Matt. I needed this reminder, and I have a hunch I’m not the only one. May we all find peace in letting the season unfold. There is no “perfect” way to do Advent, no “perfect” way to prepare for Christmas. Perhaps the best way is to simply stay alert to the signs of the sacred, showing up in our world once again.

 

Because in the end, God is coming, ready or not!