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2023 |
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Monday, December 4, 2023 |
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Scripture: Romans 13:11-12a (CEB) – “As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. The night is almost over, and the day is near.” Message: Advent is all about time. It is a season that calls us to use the time well as we prepare for the coming of Christ to our lives and world. People often vacillate between two extremes. There is the person who hopes that a frenetic schedule and fanatical attention to detail will make it a magical time of the year. Others avoid people and festivities and are far more weary than joyful. I recall the day I felt God tell me to go visit an elderly relative. She was experiencing memory issues, and I feared a meaningful visit was unlikely. I was busy in December, and almost allowed my tasks to outvote the prodding of the Holy Spirit. When I arrived, she smiled and greeted me warmly. We talked of fond memories. I thanked her for the ways she had blessed my life since I was a child. She participated in the conversation and seemed glad that I made the surprise trip. Driving home, I recall how joyful I felt. The desire to please God required me to take time for this visit. In so doing, I realized it was God’s desire to help us find the joy of Christ’s presence amongst us. We find such moments of joy and meaning when we make our desire to please God our highest priority. If we want Advent to be a sacred time of the year that enables us to uniquely experience the joy of the Lord, we will have to consider how we can use our ever-diminishing stream of time before Christmas to serve and please God. Imagine using the time of Advent with the sole intention to bring joy to the heart of God. What person or situation would you attend to as a result? What good deed would you attempt to do? What act of generosity would claim your attention as a result? Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, and show me the ways to serve You in such a way that the joy others receive I also find in this holy season. Amen. Bishop Tom Berlin |
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