A voice cries out:
Isaiah 40:3-5 (and Luke 3:4-6)
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Advent is supposed to be a time of preparation. But we all have experienced how easy it it to get distracted by preparations for “the holidays” rather than the kind of preparations both the prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist proclaim. Spending time with the words of the prophets is one practice that offers a way to do this kind of preparatory work, enabling God’s breaking into the world to resonate more deeply in our lives.
My friend John Hermanson is a singer and songwriter. He has played for us at Prince of Peace on a couple of occasions now. Several years ago, John recorded an album comprised of songs inspired, almost verbatim, by the words of the prophet Isaiah. The particular passages he was inspired to craft into songs all embody the Advent promise, announcing God’s vision for a world struggling in darkness. The album is entitled simply, “Isaiah.”
During previous seasons of Advent, John would live-stream a performance of the full album each night, as a form of prayer at the close of the day. Unfortunately, this year he is too busy touring to commit to this effort, but I suspect there are others, like me, that continue to use his recordings to center our thoughts in this busy time of year. Making this a spiritual practice has proven to be a helpful tool to keep at least a portion of my focus directed towards the coming of Christ and the vision God has for this world.
What other practices have offered you a similar centering in this time? Is there particular music that helps you feel some of the preparation the prophets call us towards? If so, I hope you make some time today to listen to it.* Breath it in and find yourself on the pathway that will lead God to you.
May God’s hope embrace you today. -Pastor Peter
Let us pray… God of song, in the busyness of our holiday season, help us to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of your breaking into the world. May the words of the prophets inspire us to make a way in the wilderness, that your presence might be made plain to us all. Amen.
*You might also enjoy listening to John Hermanson…