Friday: The Advent Calendar
“All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work.”
Advent calendars come in all kinds of designs and materials. There are wooden ones with toys to hang on pegs. Some are felt or cardboard. Some are carefully preserved from year to year. Others are disposable. What is their purpose?
For some people, the calendars are nothing more than a cute gimmick to remind them of how quickly Christmas is coming. These are the people who constantly complain about all the tasks that remain to be done.
Others have Advent calendars with daily Scripture and meditations. These are the people who observe the season as a true period of preparation. Advent becomes a time to cleanse themselves of all that stands in the way of Christ's coming.
At the time Paul wrote to Timothy, it was particularly important that Christians be faithful to their commitment in the face of persecution. While we in America do not live with the same kind of situation, we must meet other tests of our faithfulness. An Advent calendar provides a framework for examining what we believe and how we are living our lives.
For Reflection: How am I using this time before Christmas?
A Prayer Seed:
Make you straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits God's holy reign.
Johannes Olearius, 1671
