Celebrating
the freeing, supportive presence of God. So your experience of God may
become your experience of life. It is wonderful what God can do!
"We Must First Be Forgiven"
DECEMBER 4, 2005
Good Morning!
The quarterback is calling the play. The entire line of offense is on
heightened alert, ready for the final play word that will set the play in
motion. All of a sudden, unexpectedly and accidentally, a member of the defense,
anticipating the offense’s movement, lurches forward. A flag is down and a
penalty is called. The time was not right for movement. We could say that he
“jumped the gun,” but there is no starting gun in football.
Starting gun shots are still used for races, and “jumping the gun” is
an action that must be corrected. The racer must back up and start again.
When it came to decorating the house for Christmas, I always wanted to
“jump the gun” and begin decorating before the vacuuming and dusting.
Whenever I did that, my mother stopped me in my tracks, and reminded me of the
proper order of things—clean, THEN decorate!
In America, and quite often in the Christian Church itself, we “jump
the gun” on Christmas. Our Scripture tells us that the very first priority of
Christmas (the coming of the Savior) is repentance and forgiveness of sin.
Using the word “cleaning” and “repentance” as one, dare I say
that a majority of persons probably get all the way through Christmas
without a thought to the process of “cleaning before decorating.”
Spirituality seems to take a back burner to the “snaz” and pizzazz of the
festive preparations.
Just like our homes get a buildup of dust, dirt, and other miscellaneous
fragments, our lives and our living become stained by thoughts, words, or
actions that betray our Christian faith. Our minds and hearts can also become
burdened by stress, worry, or simply a calendar that has grown too full.
There are any number of things for which we need to receive cleansing
before embarking on the gratefulness and celebration of the coming Savior. I
repeat the words of Saint Peter which you read earlier, “Therefore, beloved,
while you are waiting …, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or
blemish; and regard the patience of our lord as salvation.”
This seems to be the whole point of the work of John the Baptist. He
called people to repentance, a cleansing, before the arrival of the one greater
than he.
God wants us to be aware and alert to the words we use, the love we
exercise, and the helpfulness and generosity of the lifestyle we live. If we do
not take an occasional look at ourselves, we may develop bad or unkind habits of
which we are not aware.
If we are not truly aware of our own speech and actions, how can we begin
to ask for cleansing and healing for them? How can we be on the path of
spiritual growth and on the path of preparedness if we remain oblivious to how
others see and hear us.
During this time of Holy Communion, ask God to help you identify the
areas in your life that may be hurtful or selfish to others. Then ask God to be
forgiven for your recklessness. As you commune today with God’s beloved son,
ask God to be made ready to receive his (God’s) forgiveness, healing and
blessing upon your life. Then you will be truly ready for Christmas. Amen.
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