Prepare the Way!

Read Together
Luke 3:1-6 & Philippians 1:6

Light two candles and say together
Prepare the way of the Lord! 
(from Luke 3:6)

Reflection

Are you ready for Christmas? If you aren't yet, that's completely understandable and normal. But how does it feel to not be completely ready for something? If you actually are ready for Christmas, think about a time when you haven't been ready for something. Maybe you weren't ready for a test or you hadn't packed in time for a trip or you were running late for an appointment. What word would you use to describe that feeling? 

I bet the word you chose isn't peace. 

If you are lighting candles during Advent, today we start lighting the second candle as well as the first. Your first candle (let's call that one Hope) has burned down a little. Our hope can only sustain us for so long on its own. But if we nurture that hope, if we trust in what we're hoping for, we can discover something that will bring more light — Peace. 

Unfortunately, peace isn't easy to come by, especially not in our hustle culture or the bustle of the season. While hope may come from within when we start trusting the One who is faithful, peace can feel impossible to gather up on our own when our external world is in chaos. 

But notice this: “The word of God came to John in the wilderness.” 

John the Baptist had a job to do to get ready for Christ. He had a mission to "prepare the way." And the Word of God He heard didn't come in the middle of a peaceful, serene outdoor retreat. He heard it in the wilderness — the wild-ness. So John added his voice to the wild-ness to point people to Jesus. The promise we see promised in this passage about John the Baptist is an ancient promise (found in Isaiah 40:3-5). Paths will be made straight, valleys will be filled, mountains will be lowered, crooked made straight, rough made smooth. It is a picture of wild chaos tamed, hard lives softened, ups and downs evened. The promised salvation is a picture of peace. 

We're starting our week with a focus on John who prepared the way for Jesus, and so we too will focus on preparing for Christmas. As we do this: as we light up the night and give generously and create moments of joy, let's see our preparations as a peace-bringing mission, pointing to Jesus in the middle of the wild-ness. And while we work to bring peace, let us also be reminded that the Christ we're preparing for grants us a miraculous kind of peace that goes beyond what we can understand — it is a peace that comes even in our wilderness.

Talk About

  • How are you feeling as you think about what needs to get done before Christmas?
  • How can you join together with your family or community to help one another find peace amidst the stress? Maybe this will require allowing someone to step in to help you, or maybe this will require a commitment to pray for one another.

Pray Together
Jesus, like John the Baptist, we are preparing the way for you, but sometimes the wilderness feels too wild. Turn our tears into songs of joy. Make straight our paths. Lift us from our pits and lower this mountain we're climbing. And in turn, help us point the way to You and Your peace this season.
Amen. 

Put it in Action
Do you find it hard to stop and sit still? Find a few moments each day this week to sit in silence in front of some seasonal decorations that help you feel peaceful (maybe the lit Advent candles or Christmas tree). Find stillness and enjoy the moment of peace.

To Go Deeper, Read
Psalm 126

More information about our Advent Prayer Challenge can be found here.