Advent is a season of preparation. Hearts and homes are being prepared for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. We get ready in many ways – cleaning, decorating, shopping, baking… For most of us, the perfect Christmas would be filled with family, food, and everything would be just right. We want to have the perfect gifts to give to special people in our lives. We want to have all the ingredients at hand for Christmas dinner. We hope that the preparations are completed so everything is ready with enough time to breathe ahead of the celebration.
Life often doesn’t go the way we imagine. We might have left just one ingredient off the shopping list, so someone’s favorite side dish isn’t exactly right. Or maybe we found the perfect gift online, but it is going to be delivered until December 29. Or this year, because we have to limit gatherings and travel, it just won’t feel like Christmas. For some that might mean celebrating mostly alone. We imagine the perfect scenario, but often reality is much different. But this season is about more than the perfect Christmas party. It’s more than preparing by decorating our homes, getting everything on our grocery lists, and being ready for every gift giving opportunity.
During our Sunday worship services, our message series is Prepare the Way. We will look at ways in which God’s people are prepared for His arrival. In prophecy, God’s people were told of a voice crying, “prepare the way of the LORD.” John the Baptist fulfilled that prophecy as the forerunner of Jesus. And Mary was given advance information, to prepare her for the Son she would conceive.
We prepare the way for Christmas by making our hearts ready to celebrate the gift of Jesus. Spending time in worship, in study, in meditation on God’s word, and keeping in mind the reason for the season, Jesus.