Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4: 8) 

Click on  Sunday's Lessons to review all of the Advent Two readings.

Today's spiritual theme is "reverence," paying attention to experiences, things, and other people. Reverence means we care enough about out lives to take time out to about things that transform us into more loving people. Reverence is our openness and willingness to respectfully regard someone or something, deeply.

Isn't it amazing that God revers us? God is omnipotent yet God decides to join humanity as a poor rural baby.  It's no wonder really that Christians understand Christ's Second Coming so profoundly differently than his first incarnation. Christ Jesus didn't come to us as a royal emperor, God came to us as someone with little worldly "worth." Christ Jesus, even though he was Divine, "emptied himself" and became human, submitted himself to death - even death on a Cross for the sake of our lives. Paying attention to such almost unbelievable truths is wholly reverential and worthwhile.

St. Paul urges his friends in Philippi to revere one another as well as the people around them because of God's deferential love. Jesus teaches his disciples, that Christian reverence is a faithful response to the simple fact that God chooses to love rather than reject us. That's reason enough to honor one another and God's creation.Equally important, living reverently opens our eyes and hearts to witnessing Christ's presence here and now. Observing God's presence in the beauty of a morning sunrise as birds cackle and flock to organize with one another is a particular sort of natural reverence. Striving to note the excellence of the Holy Spirit's presence in the physical body of a teenage girl rapidly turning her car into traffic while she is on the cell phone is an altogether more difficult yet potentially profound reverential moment too. Daily life provides numerous commendable and honorable chances to silently yet earnestly revere God and one another. Some opportunities admittedly are much more challenging and refutable than others. Reverence is a spiritual discipline, not automatically something immediately we achieve.

Mohican State Park and Forest

Paying attention is very much an Advent activity.  Keeping watch for God's handiwork in the blowing out of an Advent candle, or the silent observation of chilled water in an Ohio River, each of these and so many other reverential moments are occurring around you and me.  Please yourself and God alike by pondering and responding to such prayerful moments. It's creative, mysterious, and pleasurable holy work.

12 Days and counting -

Blessings Along The Way, Jim+

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The Rev. Jim Strader
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513-661-1154