Prepare



Advent is about getting ready for the coming of Christ.

 How do we get ready? We prepare.

 The Advent Word for today is 'prepare'. 

 At this time of year, preparing for Christmas, we can become so focused on private preparations for friends and family like preparing food and presents, that we lose sight of the bigger picture.

 The bigger picture involves preparation of heart, mind and will. It involves commitment to God's kingdom values of justice, love and peace.

 In many churches today, on this 2nd Sunday of Advent, these words from the prophet Isaiah will be read:
A voice cries out:
'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 
Every valley shall be lifted up, 
and every mountain and hill be made low; 
the uneven ground shall become level, 
and the rough places a plain. 
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, 
and all people shall see it together, 
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken'.
Isaiah 40: 3 - 5

 That quotation from Isaiah is part of a much larger prophecy about God coming in power as both Judge and Saviour. 

 In order to prepare for such a coming, perhaps the question to ask is:

 What are the rough places in my life, community or nation that need to be made smooth?

 Thinking about the answer to that question may lead to repentance and commitment to do something that contributes to putting things right.


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