I never fail to be amazed at how busy the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be. Not that it’s necessarily calm in the lead up to Thanksgiving, but this time that makes up the season of Advent is packed full, both personally and congregationally. There are pageants to put on and parties to attend. There is shopping to be done and there are suppers to plan. There is decorating and baking and gift wrapping and caroling and traveling to do. And while much of that is exciting, it can also be exhausting; even celebration can be stressful.
With all that is happening, all the needs to be done, the idea of taking on anything else can be daunting. Even so, I want to encourage you to consider how you might take on the discipline of Advent in the month that lies ahead. Advent is a season of preparation and penitence, of hope and expectation. And to do these things requires mindfulness and intentionality. Advent calls us to reflect on where we have been, where we are, and where we’re going. Advent calls us to consider how God has been with us every step of our journey, and to be confident that God will remain with us as we go forth in faith.
What does it look like to practice the discipline of Advent mindfully? Perhaps while we are are making our homes ready to receive visitors, we also make our hearts ready to receive instruction from Jesus. Perhaps as come together with others for meals, parties, caroling, and other festivities, we also come to friends and loved ones ready to make amends for harm we have done and ready to heal the wounds caused by separation. Perhaps as we gather in hope and expectation for the coming of the Christ child in a manger in Bethlehem, we also gather in hope and expectation for what the world could be like if we work together everyday to live out the grace, mercy, and peace that we have received from Jesus. Dear Church, to practice Advent is to be mindfully, intentionally ready—not just for the coming of Christ, but for every opportunity to live like Jesus in the world today.
This is a busy time of year. But I hope that we can all make room for Advent as we rush headlong toward Christmas. Because there is much to make ready, much to prepare. I pray the days ahead are joyful and bright; that they fill you with excitement, with hope, and with peace. I pray that you find time to be still and know God’s presence in your story thus far, in the moment right now, and on the journey that still lies ahead. And as we prepare to welcome Christ into our hearts, Beloved, may we also be prepared to bear Christ into the world by our words and deeds.
May you have a blessed Advent and a merry Christmas.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will Starkweather
Last modified: December 22, 2025