How do you prepare for the season of Christmas?
For each of us this answer could be different. Based on our family and community traditions it is very possible that I could ask this question to the first ten people I saw walking down the street on any given day and have ten different answers.
Maybe there are similar themes, with tree decorating and caroling, and certain faith- based traditions, but each person preparing their hearts for the Christmas season probably does it a little differently.
When I think about someone who is prepared for the coming of Jesus, I have to pause on John the Baptist. When I think about the ministry of John the Baptist the word “prepared” always comes to my mind. John was prepared in his call, and he was ready to tell people about Jesus, about the Good News.
John was born just before Jesus, a story we will focus on this week in John 1:6-8 and John 1:19-28. It is the narrative of John the Baptist, and continuing on with our theme of light this Advent season we will be talking about the ways that we are able to bring light into the world where we share the story of Jesus.
It is important for us as communities of faith to hear the example of John as an example that we can follow. An example of someone who was constantly preparing his own heart and mind and the hearts and minds of those around him to tell the story of Jesus, to share in the ministry of love that was brought into this world with that baby in the manger.
So, think again about the ways that you prepare for the Christmas season, I want you to include how you prepare your heart and mind for the coming of the baby Jesus, of that night full of wonder and mystery and love. I want this to serve as a practice for us during this time, something that we put active thought into and check in with ourselves about.
As we prepare for our traditions to unfold throughout this season I want us as faith communities to think about how preparing is important for our ministry for the rest of the year.
I want us to focus on the ways that being prepared for ministry can help us to more fully and authentically share our testimony in this world.
Melissa Hurley is Pastor at Kelseyville United Methodist Church and Middletown Community United Methodist Church. Please join us in Kelseyville at 9 a.m. or Middletown at 11 a.m. as we celebrate the season of Advent through the story of John the Baptist and his preparation for the coming of Jesus. All are welcome.
