Devotional 12-7-18

Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!

Lectionary Readings:  Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1: 68-79; Philippians 1: 3-11; Luke 3: 1-6

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.  Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,”  says the Lord Almighty.  Malachi 3: 1

The lectionary readings for this week all speak to the preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  It was prophesied that his cousin, John would be the one who would point the way.  “He would be a voice calling in the desert. Prepare the way for the Lord, Make straight paths for him.” Luke 3: 4. John responded as a faithful servant and preached and baptized many in preparation of Jesus’ ministry.  Are we also acting as his faithful servants during this advent season?

I am very sure that you are deep into preparations for Christmas Day.  By this time, we have prepared the church sanctuary with Chrismon tree, wreaths and garland, candles and banners.  We have probably even decorated our homes, although I’m fairly certain, all is not complete—at least at my house.  We have practiced anthems and hymns and even prepared for a concert or two.  Many of us have shopped for gifts and begun the baking-candy making phase of the season. We are all very busy, but are these busy activities really preparing our hearts for the Messiah? Are we doing the work of Advent or are we just going through the checklist in the countdown to the big reveal??

I hear God calling me to be more intentional in praying and preparing my heart and life for the Christ Child.  One way to do that would be to set aside a time for reflection and prayer.  An exercise is listed that may help you to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child.   I’m sure you could come up with other methods, questions and formats.  The point is to look inward – is there room for the Messiah in our hearts??  In our daily lives??  What will we do to share love, to spread the Good News to others, to put Christ at the center of the holidays?? What preparations should we make now to prepare for the coming year?  Will you join me in purposefully taking time away from the busyness of the season to
prepare our hearts more effectively???

1. Turn off the TV and put your phone on silence
2. Light a candle and or turn off the room lights and turn on your Christmas tree lights.
3. Sit in a comfortable chair or couch where you can see your nativity set
4. Ponder the figures in your set.  Who is present?  Why were they there?  Who is on the fringes of the scene?  Who is at the center? Is anyone missing who should be there?  What do you think were their concerns? 
5. Think about Jesus:  the baby, the child, the man and the Savior.
6. What message would he want you to share with others this season?
7. Ponder any concerns you may have.
8. Surrender your concerns, doubts and fears to the Child in the manger. 
9. Pray with thanksgiving for the blessing of this child who made love come alive for each of us.
10. Always extinguish the candle before moving on to other activities.

Repeat daily or as needed!!!

Oh, Almighty God, Thank you for the gift of your son.  How masterful you were to send a baby for us to focus our attentions.  What a marvelous, matchless, extravagant gift!  Help us to open our hearts and lives to receive your precious gift. Guide us to share your love with others without reservation and with persistence.  May we continue to affirm that the best gift of the season is your abundant and faithful love.  AMEN.

Chyrl Budd