It could be as ordinary as getting ready for the day. It could be getting ready for a formal of sorts or a first date. It could be getting ready for a game, a concert, or a test.
Getting ready is a process. Depending on what we're preparing for, we might approach getting ready differently. Yesterday, when it snowed six inches, I don’t think I got ready; in that, I stayed in my comfy clothes all day! During the snowstorm, I got my Advent wreath ready for the season, and I decorated my Christmas Tree.
Of course, to decorate it, I had to climb up into the attic to retrieve the totes of ornaments and lights. Then I had to check the lights to make sure they worked, inspect each ornament to ensure it had the little hook to dangle from the soft Fraser Fir limbs, and once everything was in working order, I could decorate.
The whole ordeal took time -- but once things were ready -- it was an afternoon filled with joy.
But it’s all ready now – and I can sit in the glow of the Tree’s lights and feel a sense of peace while listening to holiday music on vinyl. Only once, I must confess, did I find myself complaining that in a month or so, I’ll be climbing back up into the attic to get the totes so I can put it all away until next year. The negative thought came and went, and now, I’m ready for Advent and Her darkness.
In my LINK article and my sermon, I did my best to express the tension that Advent invites us into: preparing for what will be while celebrating what already is. During Advent, we wait for the full arrival of God’s reign, and we ready our hearts and lives to welcome the Christ now. And at its core, Advent is a whole season of anticipation: four weeks of waiting and preparing, all so we’ll be ready to welcome and receive the Christ into our midst.
Are you ready for Advent? If not, may this poem be a ritual to help you move gently into Advent’s darkness, trusting it to bring forth in you hope.
Getting ready takes time. However we choose to go about it. So whether you rush to prepare or are intentional with each step, remember you are here – and that God is with you … with us.
At this time, find a candle and light it. For five seconds, watch the flame. Then, focus on your breathing, placing your hand on your heart. Take a deep breath, aware of the aromas around you, and then read this poem aloud.
You Reading This, Be Ready by William Stafford
Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers,
what softened
sound from outside fills the air?
Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?
When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life --
What can anyone give you greater than now,
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
