DEVOTIONAL:
It’s finally here! Christmas is this week!
Or, perhaps: It’s already here? Christmas is this week?
Amid the bustle and busyness, the 20s of December have arrived. As I think about the year coming to a close, I wonder how it can seem like whole weeks have evaporated from my packed schedule of work, church and other responsibilities.
My chronos-driven daily living has crowded my willingness to be open to the kairos moments of Advent. How can I “praise the Lord from the heavens” when I haven’t finished hanging up my Christmas decorations? When am I supposed to take time to pray when the laundry is spilling over the sides of the basket? I already know the Christmas story – I need to stay focused on my to-do list.
Somewhere in those cluttered thoughts, another possibility creeps in: Pause. Breathe. Wonder. Christmas is this week, the gift of God’s breaking in to our time to show us a new way. Praise the Lord from the heavens!
We need to hear the story again. In it, may we discover and embrace another piece of what God intends for us. May we linger in this week’s texts and Advent reflections. Perhaps we’ll even see something we would have otherwise been too busy to notice.
Holy One, grant us the desire to pause and wonder this week. Help us, each day, to linger in the story of love incarnate and look ahead with praise toward the birth of your Son. Amen.