Ondrej came over from the Czech Republic to serve at our retreat centre in Essex for one year... That was 7 years ago! Since then he's joined the Sion Youth team, is in his 5th year of doing missions, and is now our mission team leader.
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What is the most exciting thing for you about Christmas? What are you looking forward to most? Presents, family, Christmas dinner… ?
We are in Advent, and Advent is a very special time for me and my family. The atmosphere is very different. We would change loud music for something quieter and peaceful, we would not dance nor have big parties.
The reason was not fasting, but quietening ourselves. It was always time to stop and think about the way we live our lives. Even in nature when snow comes down everything becomes so still and peaceful. It is like the whole creation is expecting the birth of its Saviour. And we can join in.
Advent is a time of preparation. We are preparing ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus into this world. But we are also preparing our hearts to receive Jesus in a special way. And that is the most exciting thing about Christmas. Jesus wants to be born in our hearts and we should be expectant for this to happen.
“It is now time to wake from sleep, the salvation is nearer to us now than we first believed. The night is far gone, the day is at hand.” Rom. 13:11-12
“The time is now!!!”
Let us awaken our hearts for Jesus to come in. Often most of our preparation falls into shopping, cleaning and other things that stress us. And yes, it is important to clean our house so we can invite people in and we can celebrate, but it is even more important to clean the house of our hearts so we can invite Jesus in. Let us awake from sleep, sleep of business and routine. Let us awake our faith.
It is so easy to get lost in shopping and buying presents and forget the reason why we give gifts to each other. It is because God gave us the greatest gift of all, His only son, Jesus. And we can share in that generosity by being generous ourselves.
“The salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The kingdom of God is here.”
“The night is far gone, the day is at hand.”
Jesus came as a light into our darkness and brought us light. Jesus came and became as vulnerable as a little child to lead us from the darkness of the night into the light of the day, the light of His love. And through His passion and resurrection, and outpouring of the Holy Spirit we can become light for others and lead them into freedom which comes through Jesus.
Jesus has become like us so we can be like Him. We are children of God.
So let us quiet ourselves and wait with expectancy for our Lord to be born.
Let us reflect on that light shining in the midst of darkness, light that cannot be quenched.
Let us clean our hearts of all mess and make space for Jesus to be born in them.
Let us become gifts for others and share in that way in the generosity of God.
And let us rejoice in the Lord always.
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