Greetings, and welcome to Advent! This is a season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas. And it begins today though most stores don’t seem to realize that and have had Christmas items displayed since Halloween.
Now, some of us, when preparing for something big, make a list. Or even more than one, depending on the nature of the initiative ahead. I realize that for some, the idea of making a list is not typical go-to. I have people like that in my family. It’s inscrutable to me, how they get anything done, but they do.
The coming of Jesus is the inauguration of an initiative transforming the world according to God’s intentions for Creation. That’s a big undertaking! And, well, maybe making a list might help us to prepare for what the imagination of Divine Love is up to in the birth of Jesus.
We imagine Santa making a list of gifts for every child, every person. Maybe you could take a few minutes to make a list – in your mind or on paper or on your phone or on your computer – of the hopes and dreams that you imagine would bring us closer to Divine intentions for reality. We believe God come to humanity in Jesus to save us. What gifts is God giving us through Jesus today?
At Lakewood Church this season, we are focusing on the Magnificat, the song of Mary in Luke 1: 46-55. [You might want to put a bookmark in your Bible at the Magnificat. We’ll be revisiting it throughout this season.] In the Magnificat, Mary outlines a vision of what God is doing through the birth of Jesus to bless the world, to save the world. What things are on the list in the Magnificat? How does that list compare to yours?
Prayer: This Advent season, may our lists reflect God’s gifts to us in Jesus. Amen.
Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim. P Wells
Lakewood United Church of Christ 