The name of my story today is “Prepare Ye The Way!”  Are you preparing for Christmas at your house?!  Elizabeth is at her house!  They have their tree up already.  Isn’t it beautiful! They have a very tall tree because they have a very tall house, because giraffes are very tall!  Did you know it is only three weeks until Christmas morning?  Three weeks from this very day is Christmas!  Do you still need a gift for your mommy or daddy? 

This pretty package contains a hot pad for her mommy that she made in art class at school.  And she made a little picture for her daddy and it is in a frame and he can hang it next to his workbench in the garage. Prepare Ye The Way!  Elizabeth is prepared.  Now she is going to sit down and wait . . .  After all it is Advent and Advent is a time of waiting for Jesus to come.  So Elizabeth thinks she is going to sit right here and wait for three weeks until Christmas comes!   Oh boy!

Now Pastor Ed would say that putting up your Christmas tree and having all your gifts wrapped are fun parts of the Christmas preparation, but he would also say that those aren’t quite what the Bible means when it says “Prepare ye the way for the coming of Jesus!”

“Then how SHOULD we get ready for Jesus?” asked Elizabeth.

And Pastor Ed explained that all three lessons today talk about how to be prepared for the birth of Jesus.

Isaiah 40:9 says “Lift up your voice with strength.”  That does not mean to lift up a strong voice to boss your friends around, or your brother or sister.  It means, for instance, to sing the music of the season.  Just like the children will at the concert this afternoon.  Singing in that concert with a strong voice is a good way to prepare for Jesus.

In the lesson from 2 Peter it says we are to “lead lives of holiness and godliness” and “we are to be at peace, without spot or blemish”.  In other words, “You better be good!”   

“You better watch out!  You better not cry!  You better not pout I’m telling you why.”

 Except, this is NOT about being good so Santa Claus will bring you lots of toys.  Santa Claus is NOT in the Bible!

Peter meant that when we love Jesus and prepare for him to come, we WANT to do good deeds and say kind words.  That is a second way we prepare for Jesus.

In today’s Gospel lesson Mark tells us that John the Baptist invited many people to Jesus!  And so, inviting people to church is a third way to prepare for Jesus.  

John the Baptist is called John the Baptist because he baptized a lot.  And look, this morning Alexis Elizabeth was baptized!  What a special way that is to be preparing for Jesus and his coming! 

“The Bible doesn’t say anything about Christmas trees or presents or Santa Claus?” asked Elizabeth.

Pastor Ed shook his head.  “The Bible DOES tell us to sing, to invite our friends to come to church and to have good deeds and kind words for others.  THESE are the things prepare us for Christmas!”   

THE END

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