Words of Welcome

Malachi 3:1-4 I will confess that house cleaning doesn’t sit at the top of my favorite things to do in life. While I clean my bathroom, vacuum the family room rug, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor each week, I much prefer working in the yard. Nevertheless, housework has to be done, and done regularly. That’s especially true if you’re going to invite people over for the holidays. So, we dust, vacuum, mop, polish, and wash the things that need to be washed. We do this because it’s important to put our best foot forward when company comes to the house.  The season of Advent has similarities to housecleaning. The readings from Scripture call to mind the need to get ready for the coming of God’s anointed. The challenge facing us during this Advent season is that too often it gets swept aside by all the commotion attached to the holiday season. Since the Christmas shopping season now begins sometime around Halloween if not before, Advent can get lost in the shuffle. Nevertheles...

Malachi 3:1-4 If you’re planning to have people over during the holidays, you have to get the house ready, which means doing the winter cleaning. Dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and polishing, cleaning the bathrooms and washing the table cloths. Of course, you’ll have to prepare the food, unless you decide to save time and hire a caterer. And once you get all that done, you have to get yourself ready. After all, a good host has to be properly bathed and clothed. To start with you might take a trip to Nordstrom's or maybe Ross to get just the right outfit. Then there’s the hair, always the hair. It has to be cut, curled, and colored! And when everything else is ready, you can go take a shower, because a good host wants to be clean and refreshed. At least that’s what you have to do if you want to throw a successful high society Christmas party. PREPARE THE WAY!! This is the second Sunday in Advent, and Advent is a season of preparation. During this season we get ready for Christmas. Now...