Advent Day 2

Today was the first Sunday of Advent and we packed a lot in. We rose early to make it our nearest Trader Joe's (1 hr, 15 min) which is a 10 minutes away from our church (also a long way from home). Usually I stop by Trader Joe's after church. But today we had new friends who came over to watch the Bears/Seahawks game with us. We had Bears' jerseys in our house  but they were gracious when we beat them.

But in order to be back to host, we had to shop first and dodge out of church fast. And it was not a great day to do so. Fr. Terry Gensemer of CEC for Life gave the sermon. I feel like I know Fr. Terry; he has been active in the prolife movement for 25+ years. There is a special grace on someone who can stand outside and abortion clinic, pray, and still smile at the end of the day. He has dealt with some of the sickest and most inhumane things that most of us could fathom and yet he goes, to pray, to attend those that are dying, and to pray that the contrast between good and evil, between a culture of death and a culture of life becomes very very clear. He has some wonderful and encouraging, even miraculous stories too. His message today was largely, on the real work of prayer. On the first Sunday of Advent as we wait for a baby, who in the womb was both God and man, being confronted with the horrors of abortion was appropriate. (Though we never are really confronted with them, are we?)

Today's reading is from Luke 3:1-16. I love these words of John:

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (8-9)

Today's sermon, much of what I'm thinking about right now, and these verses are speaking to me that our modern western sense of self is so inflated that we (and by that I mean me) easily fall into the trap of thinking God needs us. He needs me to pray, to read His word, to the give to the poor, to serve at church. I love the picture of a smug group of Pharisees on a river bank thinking they were so important because they were God's chosen people. And then John tells them God can turn rocks into children of Abraham. And then I realize that trap. I get this feeling all the time that God NEEDS my devotion. Which is a lie.

I need Him, I need time with Him, I need to hear from Him, I need to serve Him, I need to love Him. Nothing I bring to the table is unique.

My "Look God, I'm into the spirit of Christmas, not that cultural consumerist version" is so trite. I need Christmas. I need that baby who is God/man, I need the joy only He can bring, I need the salvation He offers.