Tony Johnson, who works here at Montview as one of our sextons (caretakers), just stopped by my office. Many of you know Tony, with his warm smile and his infectious laugh. He told me he just got off the phone with his sister, who was telling him that the season of Advent was a time to slow down. Tony responded, "Unless you work for the church!" We laughed together at the irony that during this season when the Church's message to the world is to slow down, we are often running around busier than ever.

But this is the challenge for many of us at this time of year, isn't it? It's a time when we want so much to make things special, and if we are not careful we can drain all our energy trying to make them so.

So let me ask you, what can you say 'no' to today, this week, or this Advent so that you can say a really good 'yes'?

Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but

still nothing is as shining as it should be

for you. Under the sink, for example, is an

uproar of mice -it is the season of their

many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves

and through the walls the squirrels

have gnawed their ragged entrances -but it is the season

when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And

the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard

while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;

what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling

in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly

up the path, to the door. And I still believe you will

come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox,

the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know

that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,