Prepare the way...
This week I had a rather strange experience. On Tuesday I went to do some hospital visiting and as I arrived in the foyer, there were some dignitaries there obviously ready to perform some sort of ceremony. Also within this group was the Hospital Chaplain who I needed to speak to and so, as they were only just getting things ready, I thought I would pop over and talk to him.
Whilst talking to him, I heard my name being given to the reporter that was there as one of the people that was attending this ceremony. That was fine, except I didn’t even know what it was all about ! By this stage the photographer had begun to ask us to get into our places for the photo, and you can imagine it was now pretty difficult to get away, and so I squeezed in next to a couple of nurses and smiled for my photo.
If it appears in the Gazette and you see it, you will know that I was an imposter ! However it did lead me to find out more about what was going on and it turned out that this was the launch of an excellent scheme at the hospital to offer dedications in a book next to the Christmas tree, remembering loved ones, or giving thanks for treatment received and so on – had I been more prepared I could have enjoyed the occasion far more, but sadly preparation came after the event and not before !
Advent is a season of preparation and yet many people ignore what they should be preparing for, if indeed they ever knew in the first place. In the gospel this morning (Luke 3:1-6), we have the words of John the Baptist, repeating the words of Isaiah, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’.
That phrase is one of the great cries of advent… In London at the moment there is huge preparation going on for the Olympics – building work is only part of the project; in addition there will be a massive clean up operation to make sure things look good for the visiting dignitaries. It’s often said that when the Queen is visiting an area, roads are tidied, potholes filled in and so on. And it happens in so many things – if someone important is visiting a special effort is made. Even in Church, we tend to make a special effort when the Bishop is visiting !
We prepare the way for our visitors, and so what is the way of the Lord, and how can we make his paths straight ?
To answer that question properly will take far more time than we have today, but to begin, we have to look at the intentions and example of Jesus. His motives during his earthly ministry were clear, and as he ascended into heaven he charged his followers with continuing his work until he comes again. That is our job, that is our way of preparing the way of the Lord, in readiness for his return.
The way of Jesus was a way of peace, a way of justice and mercy, a way of love and a way of righteousness. It was also a way of inclusivity – he wanted nobody to be left out of his offer of salvation. And so preparing the way of the Lord has to be two fold – firstly it involves us, and self examination. That can be a painful process, but God is always ready to help us if we are committed to knowing him better.
Through advent we are to seek ways of getting closer to God – and they are to be ways that are lasting, not just until Christmas, but permanently. Advent represents the start of the new year in the Church Calendar, and it’s a wonderful time for us to make resolutions – perhaps to pray more, to read our Bibles more, to read a Christian book, to make sure we attend a bible study group when they start again after Christmas.
Many people do some wonderful Christian work serving others, caring for them, and that is an essential part of our discipleship, but it’s important also to care for ourselves spiritually... We need to be continually fed by God, and to do that we need to make time for him – time for quiet reflection, and time for study and fellowship.
And part of the preparation we must be involved in is to seek the ways of the Lord – in other words to work and pray for peace, to show forgiveness and love, to offer hope and to share the gospel message.
And that is the other part of preparing the way of the Lord - to encourage others to be ready for him as well. As Jesus ascended into heaven some of his most important words were about telling others the good news he was offering. And there’s no better time than Christmas to tell people what it really means – it may be by talking to them, or inviting them to a carol service or simply to a Christmas Church service. It may be by sending a card with a bible verse in it, or writing something like ‘May God bless you at this time’ – The Christ of Christmas is too often left out, and we can all make a difference in so many simple ways.
Preparing the way of the Lord remains as important as it has ever been. For many Christmas will be about presents and cards and parties, for some it will be about drink and mounting debts… John the Baptist prepared the way for a king who entered the world quietly and humbly in poor surroundings, and a king who didn’t rule with power but who ruled with love, the most perfect example of love that has ever been displayed…
We can do no better in our advent preparations than to ask God for the strength to be as Jesus to others, loving them, caring for them, offering them hope…
There’s a story about a goldsmith who is asked by a young child how many times he can place the gold back in the fire before knowing that all the impurities had gone, and the goldsmith answered, "I will know when I can see my own face in the gold." Like gold in the refiner’s fire, Christ will come if we let him, and he will change us until he can see his image in our face. AMEN
Whilst talking to him, I heard my name being given to the reporter that was there as one of the people that was attending this ceremony. That was fine, except I didn’t even know what it was all about ! By this stage the photographer had begun to ask us to get into our places for the photo, and you can imagine it was now pretty difficult to get away, and so I squeezed in next to a couple of nurses and smiled for my photo.
If it appears in the Gazette and you see it, you will know that I was an imposter ! However it did lead me to find out more about what was going on and it turned out that this was the launch of an excellent scheme at the hospital to offer dedications in a book next to the Christmas tree, remembering loved ones, or giving thanks for treatment received and so on – had I been more prepared I could have enjoyed the occasion far more, but sadly preparation came after the event and not before !
Advent is a season of preparation and yet many people ignore what they should be preparing for, if indeed they ever knew in the first place. In the gospel this morning (Luke 3:1-6), we have the words of John the Baptist, repeating the words of Isaiah, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’.
That phrase is one of the great cries of advent… In London at the moment there is huge preparation going on for the Olympics – building work is only part of the project; in addition there will be a massive clean up operation to make sure things look good for the visiting dignitaries. It’s often said that when the Queen is visiting an area, roads are tidied, potholes filled in and so on. And it happens in so many things – if someone important is visiting a special effort is made. Even in Church, we tend to make a special effort when the Bishop is visiting !
We prepare the way for our visitors, and so what is the way of the Lord, and how can we make his paths straight ?
To answer that question properly will take far more time than we have today, but to begin, we have to look at the intentions and example of Jesus. His motives during his earthly ministry were clear, and as he ascended into heaven he charged his followers with continuing his work until he comes again. That is our job, that is our way of preparing the way of the Lord, in readiness for his return.
The way of Jesus was a way of peace, a way of justice and mercy, a way of love and a way of righteousness. It was also a way of inclusivity – he wanted nobody to be left out of his offer of salvation. And so preparing the way of the Lord has to be two fold – firstly it involves us, and self examination. That can be a painful process, but God is always ready to help us if we are committed to knowing him better.
Through advent we are to seek ways of getting closer to God – and they are to be ways that are lasting, not just until Christmas, but permanently. Advent represents the start of the new year in the Church Calendar, and it’s a wonderful time for us to make resolutions – perhaps to pray more, to read our Bibles more, to read a Christian book, to make sure we attend a bible study group when they start again after Christmas.
Many people do some wonderful Christian work serving others, caring for them, and that is an essential part of our discipleship, but it’s important also to care for ourselves spiritually... We need to be continually fed by God, and to do that we need to make time for him – time for quiet reflection, and time for study and fellowship.
And part of the preparation we must be involved in is to seek the ways of the Lord – in other words to work and pray for peace, to show forgiveness and love, to offer hope and to share the gospel message.
And that is the other part of preparing the way of the Lord - to encourage others to be ready for him as well. As Jesus ascended into heaven some of his most important words were about telling others the good news he was offering. And there’s no better time than Christmas to tell people what it really means – it may be by talking to them, or inviting them to a carol service or simply to a Christmas Church service. It may be by sending a card with a bible verse in it, or writing something like ‘May God bless you at this time’ – The Christ of Christmas is too often left out, and we can all make a difference in so many simple ways.
Preparing the way of the Lord remains as important as it has ever been. For many Christmas will be about presents and cards and parties, for some it will be about drink and mounting debts… John the Baptist prepared the way for a king who entered the world quietly and humbly in poor surroundings, and a king who didn’t rule with power but who ruled with love, the most perfect example of love that has ever been displayed…
We can do no better in our advent preparations than to ask God for the strength to be as Jesus to others, loving them, caring for them, offering them hope…
There’s a story about a goldsmith who is asked by a young child how many times he can place the gold back in the fire before knowing that all the impurities had gone, and the goldsmith answered, "I will know when I can see my own face in the gold." Like gold in the refiner’s fire, Christ will come if we let him, and he will change us until he can see his image in our face. AMEN
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