This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As Fall turns to Winter, a season has ended and another is upon us. This is true for the church as well, as we are entering the season of Advent. In our tradition, Advent is known as a time of preparation, when we prepare to welcome anew the Christ child into our lives.

At our house, we take preparation seriously. As Lydia comes to the end of her cross country season there will be a period of rest and healing, a time of letting her body recover from a long season of running. Then, following the rest, she will begin a combination of weights, core work, and running as she prepares to transition to track. She will be the first to tell you that preparation is a process. For Noah, preparation looks different, and if I am honest, it's a little bit boring. He wakes up early a few mornings each week and lifts weights in the morning, mostly focusing on core strength. His afternoons all look pretty much the same: long, long bike rides, 175 to 250 miles a week. Every week. Noah will also tell you that preparation is a process...albeit if he's honest he would also admit that this part of the season is a bit boring.

I admire my children. They both know that the results they want won't come unless the prep work is done. Having both lost and won races, they know the feeling of looking in the mirror and knowing that they either did all that they could, or that they left some on the table. Both know the feeling of being underprepared, and neither enjoy it.

I wonder what your spiritual preparation for Christmas looks like. Did you know that most people have difficulty meditating for 5 minutes, let alone 10? 10 minutes of prayer, mindfulness, and quiet have been proven to be good for your health in body, mind, and spirit. I wonder what it would look like for you to start with 1 or 2 minutes of meditation and work your way up to 10? Could this open up something new in your prayer life? Could this be a form of spiritual preparation? Reading the whole Bible is pretty hard, but I wonder, what if you broke it up? The Gospel of Mark can be read in an hour. Could reading be a form of spiritual preparation? I think it can.

We do well with planning the Christmas events. Some of our schedules are already probably set. I urge you my brothers and sisters to prepare your spirits for Christmas. Come to church. Say your prayers. Do something for someone else without expecting repayment. Serve the poor. Ring a bell. Visit the sick. Volunteer to read a story at the library. Take care of your health. Ask someone to pray for you in a specific way, and/or ask someone if you can pray for them. I believe all these can be spiritual forms of preparation, though they are not flashy and or particularly hard.

I admit that I sometimes fall prone to putting off my own spiritual preparation until tomorrow. Do you do the same? This Advent I invite you into a spirit of preparation. Please do your best to leave room in your life for God. If you feel like you have no space for Him, then I urge you to make some. It just may be a change that you need.

In Christ,

Mitch