12.11.24 Refined for the Season
Advent isn’t just about decorating our homes or checking off shopping lists—it’s about preparing our hearts and lives for the arrival of Christ. The prophet Malachi offers a challenging but vital message for this season: we need refining. Like a refiner’s fire purifying gold or a launderer’s soap scrubbing away dirt, God’s work in us removes impurities and instills qualities that shape us into Christ’s likeness.
This process is not always easy. It requires honest reflection and a willingness to let go of attitudes and habits that hold us back—selfishness, pride, impatience. But it also fills us with new gifts: love, peace, patience, and kindness, the fruit of the Spirit that makes us more fully who God has called us to be. Advent reminds us that transformation is possible; this is the season to let God begin that work in us anew.
Sometimes, we may resist this refining work because it feels
uncomfortable or disruptive. Yet, just as we wash before we sit at a table or remove our shoes before entering a clean home, Advent calls us to spiritual preparation. It’s an act of love and respect—to ourselves, to God, and to the promise of Christ who is coming.
As we prepare for Christmas, let’s embrace this deeper call to readiness—not just for the celebration of a day, but for the ongoing work of God in our lives and the world. Join us next Sunday as we continue our Advent journey and reflect on the joy that Christ’s coming brings!
Love, grace, and peace!
Pastor Sela
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