Holy Mess

It was a long day Sunday. I rose early to get to church ahead of my family, ahead of most of the congregation.  Eight of us meet early to rehearse praise music and be sure we know all the cues for the service. We sing, play, pray, and ready ourselves for worship. We work hard in rehearsal and worship God in the service, no matter what might happen. We’ve seen proven time and again that even if a weird buzz pops up on a speaker mid-song or the musicians aren’t quite together for a few bars God still uses that imperfect music to call hearts to Him.

We pray together,  the eight of us, for job interviews that might finally pay off after a year or more of unemployment, for an unsaved sister, we praise Him for the work He is doing in our church these last few months.

I try to focus on this time of worship, but my brain is jumping hoops remembering all the work waiting at home. If only all the externals would vanish when its time to worship. I whisper words begging forgiveness for my unfocused mind. Father help me be here instead of worrying about later...

And I remember that long ago it was Mary and Joseph over-full with worry- after all they were called on to go take care of taxes when the birth of Jesus was imminent!

Faithfully they headed off to be counted, awash in the scandal of pregnancy before marriage, Mary heavy with child for the journey, and traveling so long only to find no room to stay, the babe so close to birth… 

Complicated, disgraced, MESS.

And in the mess of life, in the hay and the imperfect place to bear a child our salvation is made possible.

In the faithfulness of a young girl and her husband-to-be our salvation is here.

From such humble beginnings is born the babe who will renew our hearts and minds, transforming us in His grace.

Stable, manger, HOLY.

Ann Voskamp invites us to write about Advent this week. Won't you join us?

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