Psalm 119:49-72; Isaiah 9: 8-17; Mark 1: 1-8
| “Prepare the Way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”Advent is a time of preparation, a time to examine our lives and seek to find the pathway that God needs to take in order to get into our lives more fully. We are called to prayer, meditation, and discernment to contemplate once again how the Christ child will transform us and shape us, turning our world upside down. And, the world is so focused on the trees, lights, the perfect gifts, the parties, and everything else that the mass marketing of our culture is inspiring us to focus on. In the midst of this new wilderness comes a voice asking and pleading with us to prepare. Prepare for the Lord! From Thanksgiving week well through Christmas and New Year’s, schedules are frantic, busy, stressful, and overwhelming. It is this busyness that becomes our excuse to be unprepared and caught off guard with the coming of Christ into the world. Sometimes, we are shocked at the beauty of Christmas Eve service with the majesty, beauty, and wonder of our liturgy, prayers, and music. We light a candle at the Midnight Mass and the light goes on in our mind, “Oh, this is what it is all about, Jesus is the Light of the World.” May we heed the warning to be prepared and not be caught off guard. Know the path of Christ to be that of light and love. Gracious God, you send your Son to be the Light of the World. Prepare us to receive him and share his love with the world. Amen. The Very Rev. Justin Alan Lindstrom, ’99 Dean, Saint Paul’s Cathedral Diocese of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
2014 Advent Meditations Front Page
|
The Very Reverend Justin Alan Lindstrom is the Dean of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Oklahoma. Dean Lindstrom was appointed by the Right Reverend Edward Konieczny, Bishop of Oklahoma on September 15, 2012. Over the past two years, the Cathedral has seen growth and is becoming the “Cathedral of the City”. Lay leadership has increased under the direction of Dean Lindstrom and a Saturday evening worship service has been added. Most importantly, outreach to the Oklahoma City community and beyond has increased. The Cathedral is living into its calling to love, give, serve, and
connect.
