Few events in a family’s life raise more excitement and anticipation than the birth of a baby. There are many preparations and decisions to be made. The nursery is set up with the crib and the changing table, maybe there is new paint or wallpaper to make the room pleasant for the new member and the rest of the family. The baby will need a name. She or he will wear that name for the rest of her or his life and it must be chosen carefully. There are showers planned and carried out to equip the new baby and the family with what they need to live together: diapers, clothing, blankets and sheets, strollers, bathtubs, and toys. There is a lot to do in preparation for the advent of this new little person whom the family will welcome. When a baby is on the way, we want everything to be just right.

Our preparations for Christmas during the month of December and during the season of Advent remind me of this preparation for a new baby. We do a lot of preparing for the celebration of the birth of our Lord as a human baby. There is anticipation and excitement. We decorate our homes with greenery and lights and colorful ornaments of other kinds. There are special treats to bake and to share with family and friends. We gather together with our friends and loved ones at parties. There are gifts to buy and wrap and place under the Christmas tree. We want everything to be just right. December is a busy time for most of us as we prepare for the feast of our Lord’s birth.

My favorite holiday tradition is that of placing candles (yes, yes, I know they are electric, but they look like real candles in the dark) in the windows of our home. A candle in the window is a tradition that bespeaks hospitality. In colonial times, a candle was placed in the window of a home in order to signal a welcome to travelers and strangers. It was a sign of warmth and acceptance, which a cold and weary traveler could rely on when he was far from home. A candle in the window at Christmas became a sign of the anticipated welcome of the Christ child into the home.

When we prepare for Christmas I think that we often have it backwards. We say that we are preparing to welcome the Christ Child into our homes and hearts, but it is more important to remember that the Christ Child came to welcome us into his home and into his life. At Christmas what we really celebrate is God’s hospitality shown to us. This is made visible most clearly in the cross. Through the cross a way was made for us to be part of God’s kingdom. What is most amazing of all is that God didn’t wait until we were just right to welcome us into the Kingdom. God sent a savior because we were not just right, and wanted to set us to rights again. The cross speaks welcome to us as cold and weary travelers burdened with the weight of sin that takes us far from home.

As we prepare for this wonderful celebration of our Lord’s incarnation, let us remember God’s amazing and extravagant hospitality shown to us both in the manger and in the cross. Let us take time during the busy season of Advent to stop to marvel, rejoice, and give thanks for this most precious of all gifts.

Vicar Patti