Matthew 24:44

"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

Dear Friends:

ADVENT is upon us once again.  It's the season of preparation that leads us into the glorious CHRISTMAS  season.  Being prepared is one of those necessary things we do in life, or should do.  For instance, I have candles in the house, to use if the power goes out.  I also have a flash light available - somewhere.  If only I could find them in the dark.  I also have aspirin handy for those times when my back hurts too much.  Band-aids are good to have nearby for those occasions when I get scratched by the bushes out in the yard, or by one of our cats.  And, I know how to push the "delete" button on my computer for those rare times that I make mistakes in writing - yeah, right.  So, there are many things we do to be prepared in our everyday life.  I haven't even mentioned insurance we carry - on our property, our lives, our deaths.  Being prepared is just a smart thing to do.

So, how do we get prepared in our spiritual lives?  ADVENT reminds us to be prepared for the coming of Jesus.  He came to us historically in Bethlehem.  He lives in us today as we open our hearts to receive Him as He gives us strength and love for living our everyday lives.  And, we are prepared to receive Him in His Second Coming, through our faith sustained by the Holy Spirit.  We are prepared when we open our hearts to receive Him however and whenever He comes to us.  We are prepared when we regularly read the Word, worship and praise him in regular attendance at church, when we partake of Holy Communion, and when we live out our faith in deeds of love and caring for others.

Are you prepared?  Let this holy season be a time of renewal in your spiritual life, a time of rededication and recommitment to Christ and the way He wants us to live, now and always.

Love in Christ,

Pastor Jim

Previous Pastor's Pages

2007
• November, 2007
• March, 2005
• January, 2005
• December, 2004
• August, 2004
• June, 2004
• Summer, 2004
• Spring, 2004
• Winter, 2004
• Fall, 2003
• Summer, 2003
• Spring, 2003
• Winter, 2002
• Fall, 2002