Advent, Week 1: Keeping House

Today’s readings: Ps 24,150; Amos 1:1-2:8; 1 Thess 5:1-11; Luke 21:5-19

Today, the first Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of the Christian year and the beginning of our journey toward Christmas, when we celebrate the arrival of Christ in the world. So why do our readings focus on endings?

During Advent we focus on preparing our hearts for the arrival of Christ. Even though we just did the same thing a year ago, our preparation is an ongoing effort, because Christ and God can always find new and broader doors into our hearts – if we have swept he way clear. Like the Thessalonians, we may need reminding that Christians live in a constant state of preparedness. Most of us may no longer be expecting Christ to return to Earth at any minute, but he may appear in our hearts at any time. We don’t want to respond like an embarrassed homeowner, crying “Come back later when I’ve tidied up!” Like a seasonal cleaning, Advent is a time to take stock and rid ourselves of the obstructions we may have accumulated so we can start fresh. Our lives and hearts don’t need to be in perfect order, but we should at least be able to let Christ through the door.

“But wait,” we may say, “I have been right with the Lord for a long time.” Tell it to Israel, or Judah, or any of the kingdoms that Amos says have fallen out of God’s favor. When these once-oppressed people rose to power, they grew as corrupt as the captors they had overcome. They assumed because God had delivered them once, they were in the right. Amos let them know they would have to be brought low again before they could return to acting like God’s people. Human justice is flawed, and when justice or righteousness begins to stink of corruption, it’s time to clean house. When we become certain of our own righteousness, we too are prone to spiritual corruption. If we become complacent about our spiritual growth - if we start to think we’ve grown as much as we need to – we aren’t extending new invitations to Christ, but hoarding photographs of old visits. Our commitment to Christ is more than a photo of an old friend in a dusty album. It is an open invitation for Christ to drop in unannounced, and a promise to respond to his strange, new requests.

This cycle of endings is not a cause for despair – it is an offer of hope. God gives us endless opportunity to embrace an increasingly abundant life. Advent formally reminds us once a year, but the opportunity to step into that embrace exists always because God loves us always. Sometimes we just need to clear the doorway to fall into it.

Comfort: God enters our hearts anew every time we offer an invitation!

Challenge: Dedicate yourself this Advent season to preparing your heart for Christ’s arrival. Set aside a little time every day to clean your spiritual house.

Prayer: God of Hope, I am yours: renew me as you will.

Evening reading: Ps 25, 110