Sunday – November 29

Psalms 146,147; Amos 1:1-5, 13, 2:8; Luke 21:5-19

Listen to the author read their meditation and prayer: 

The Rev. Dave Scheider Advent Meditation
My wife is a professional organizer. When a client shows her a cluttered, chaotic room, she asks “What is your vision for this room?  How do you see yourself using it?” Then she helps the client clear away the trash and other clutter that gets in the way of the intended purpose of that space. The room becomes functional and stress-free.
This Advent I imagine a spiritual organizer entering my soul to restore order in the midst of my chaos. Our reading this Sunday shines a light on inner clutter. The discussion is about end times with warnings about not trusting anything that is a substitute for God, such as the temple, nature, political systems, courts, faith communities, and families. Jesus ensures that we are not left with any false hopes. These things cannot save us and they must go.
After cleaning out the debris from our many attempts to replace God, the space is clean and ready to be made functional and simple as the dwelling place for Jesus. Advent is a time of making room for the infilling of God. What are the things you have cluttering your life that need to be cleared away to make room for trusting in Jesus alone for meaning, purpose, and salvation?
Lover of our souls, we invite your Spirit to guide us in making space for the coming of Jesus in our lives this Advent. Amen. 
The Rev. Dave Scheider, DMin
Director, Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for
Christian Ministry and Vocation
SEMINARY OF THE SOUTHWEST

 
Dave Scheider is the Director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorf Center for Christian Ministry and Vocation at Seminary of the Southwest. Prior to joining the faculty of Seminary of the Southwest, Dave served as an Army Chaplain for 25 years.