Readings:
Sermon:
As advent presses on, I wonder how prepared you are for Christmas? The answer to that will depend to some degree on your personality type, and whether you are by nature a forward planner, or more of a spontaneous, go with the flow type person. I am a forward planner, so practically I am reasonably well prepared for Christmas – I’ve planned in when everything needs to be done and written lists, lots of lists.
But how prepared am I spiritually for Christmas? How ready are you? Our spiritual preparation isn’t so easily measured. We can’t put “be spiritually ready” on our list of things to do, and tick it off on Christmas Eve. If only it were that easy! Advent is an opportunity for spiritual preparation as we wait expectantly to celebrate together once again Christ’s incarnation. It’s a season to reflect, to be still, to watch and wonder; to imagine how it would be to be waiting for the promised Messiah before that first Christmas, not knowing when and how he would come, not knowing what changes he would bring about.
In our advent readings today we’re looking at John the Baptist’s role in preparing the way for Jesus’ first coming. We know from the various gospel accounts that he called people to repentance, and to fruitful living. His message was direct and challenging, calling people to clear life-style choices, exhorting them to leave behind sinful ways and to live differently. He preached a message of good news and hope, a message of one who will come and bring salvation, who will baptise people with God’s Holy Spirit and with life-changing fire.
People were drawn to this radical, outspoken desert preacher, coming in droves to hear what he had to say and be baptised by him, choosing to step into the new kind of life he is teaching about. But they all seem to have one key question for him – “Who are you? Are you the Messiah?”
And John’s answer is no. He is the one preparing the way for the Messiah, the one who would be so much more significant than him, one so much more worthy of the name ‘Messiah’. He knew that one was coming who would be anointed by God to bring good news to the oppressed, bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and release to prisoners. One who would inaugurate God’s kingdom people, a people who would live with kingdom values of love, compassion, justice and freedom Jesus modelled himself.
But a way needed preparing for this Messiah to come, by this humble yet outspoken prophet John. And a way still needs preparing now. We are very often not ready to welcome the ministry of the one who comes amongst us afresh again and again.
So what then can we do?
Perhaps we can choose to take time to intentionally prepare our hearts for Christmas, to be more spiritually prepared. Find ways of waiting in stillness and listening to the still small voice of God amidst the clamour of commercialism, calling us to slow down, drawing us back to him. As an activist I need to make space to just be, and I don’t do that consistently enough, especially when I’m really busy. We all need to find ways of ‘being with God’ which work for us in our own situation.
If we embrace advent with a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing for God to come, living with advent hope, we might perhaps be more ready, as we prepare for the coming of an anointed one, a Messiah, who will bring love, compassion, justice and freedom to the world.
But there’s a choice involved. To be alert and watchful in the spiritual dimension of our lives we have to make space, quieten our hearts, stop and listen. We have to be always on the alert, watching for God to appear, sensitive to the face of Jesus emerging in unexpected places.
Are we ready? Prepared? Let’s wait, and watch, with heightened expectation, with a more acute sense of anticipation this advent. Let’s look out, watch for the work and presence of God in the world, and in the church. Let’s live as those who hope for a new thing, who hope for new possibilities, who seek to grow as kingdom people, in readiness for the coming of the Messiah.