Prepare!

Sunday we begin the season of Advent, preparing for the coming of Jesus.  He came first in a animal stall in a backwater village of a nuisance province of the Roman empire.  And He will come again in great glory at the end of time!

If it seems like we just heard about this, we did.  The end of the Church year (last Sunday) is Christ the King Sunday, celebrating Jesus as King at the end of time, and the First Sunday of Advent looks to His second coming, to reign as King.

Though the images of Jesus’ return often seem frightening and confusing, that is not Jesus’ purpose.  In fact, He wants us to be prepared rather than taken by surprise.  Like many things in life, that for which we are unprepared brings fear.  When I was in school and had prepared well for a test, or written a good paper, I had no fear.  But if I had prepared poorly or written sloppily, I had great fear.

We prepare for Jesus’ coming in the same ways we always have, and we can’t do it overnight.  If I may switch metaphors mid-stream, a great football team does not become great just by learning a good game strategy.  It takes years of often boring, repetitious and sometimes painful preparation.  Preparing for a test requires not one all-nighter, but a steady pattern of study and reflection to master the subject.

Preparing for Jesus’ return will not come in one sermon or one Bible reading but in a long-term investment in prayer, Bible reading, worship and service.  It is by this engagement that the promise if Jesus’ return is a promise of joy rather than fear, and a truth that gives shape and direction to our lives.

Make this Advent a serious one and engage God in preparation!

This column appeared in the November 28, 2021 edition of St. John’s eNews. Click here for the complete issue.

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