MANNA: 12/12/12

2nd Week of Advent

Luke 3:7-18

BEEP..BEEP..BEEP..BEEP..BEEP..BEEP

My alarm clock is not my friend.
I am definitely not a morning person.  Waking me from my cozy dream world, where I am warm in bed, will rarely garner appreciation from me.  Whether you're a morning person or not, I think we could all agree that the alarm clock's duty is never going to be one that is too fondly welcomed.  

Every year, by the second week of Advent we are fast asleep in our little Christmas dream world, buying presents, decorating the house, preparing for guests, planning meals.  Every year, we fall asleep, denying the reality of our lives, our finances, and our time.  Then, like an alarm clock, the Baptist shows up in our Sunday worship service.  His announcement is a harsh reminder of realities of life and sin.  His cry is a wake up call.  He calls us out of our comfort zones, and re-directs our attention away from the image of cozy and warm child in the manger, to a cold world in need of forgiveness and mercy...the grace found in the gift of naked and cold man who dies on a cross.  It's no wonder the likes of Herod and others found him so offensive, and had him beheaded.  They too were sleeping in the denial of reality, and John wanted to wake them up.  

This time of year, we could all use a wake up call.  It's too easy to doze off, allow ourselves to over-indulge on so-called "holiday cheer", then find ourselves drowning in credit card bills, overwhelmed with preparations, stressed the point of yelling at our kids, and generally missing the real gift of Christmas.  

Our alarm clocks are not our friends, but we need them to wake us up so that we might see the light of day.  Likewise, John the Baptist is not a welcomed friend, but we need his cry of preparation to wake us up from our holiday dreams, so that we might see the light in the good news that Christ is with us, even now...Emmanuel!

So.......WAKE UP!!   

God is with you....Emmanuel!  

The only thing, truly necessary for Christmas, is a prayer...

Open my eyes, Lord, I want to see Jesus.
To see him caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the bereaved.
Open my hands, Lord, I want to help Jesus.