For me, the readings of this Sunday are filled with a sense of journey and anticipation. It’s the first day of advent coming up and we can learn a lot about how we’re meant to posture ourselves from the 3 readings this Sunday. In Isaiah, the prophet has this incredible vision of all people from all nations journeying up a huge mountain to the Temple of God, to hear his Word and to follow him. From there peace will come upon everyone in all lands and nations to the point that they beat their weapons of war into peaceful tools for farming! As Christians this text has a deeper meaning, because we have a new Temple of God, we have a Prince of Peace named Jesus - and this season is like our mountain-climbing journey to him at Christmas.

 So we’ve gotta be ready for this journey, but how? If you wanted to go on a hike up a mountain, there are some things you have to think about before you head off. I actually really enjoy packing a bag for a journey like that, you leave behind all the stuff you’ve accumulated over the years and only take the essentials of what you’ll need. This is kind of what the second reading and the Gospel are making sure we’ve done as we prepare for this journey to Jesus.  Have we left behind the junk in our lives? Have we kicked the bad habits and removed the nasty parts of our lives? Have we made peace with the people who hurt us or who we’ve hurt? It’s so important we prepare ourselves in anticipation of the coming of Jesus at Christmas, and also for his second coming. Are you ready?

"Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light"

This Sunday's scripture readings:
ISAIAH 2:1-5 | PSALM 122 | ROMANS 13:11-14 | MATTHEW 24:37-44