One of many things I missed during the seven years of ministry as a district superintendent was the easy access to an altar. It was in my fifth year that I made known to one of my pastors, whose husband had just made an incredible baptismal font from an old pew, that I would love to have a prayer kneeler made from an old pew if he had time, and I would pay him for it. Right before Christmas that year they delivered a beautiful prayer kneeler, and it was a gift! So, I had a place set aside for prayer, as I still do, but having keys to the beautiful sanctuary of First United Methodist Church of Gonzales gives me a place where I have, as Paul wrote above, "free and open access to God, given bye Jesus."
In this version of the epistle reading for this coming first Sunday of Advent, Paul calls Jesus' second coming to earth, "the Finale." And Paul's prayer to the believers in Corinth was one of rich and wonderful blessings as they awaited Christ's return. "May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ be yours." Our garage has two huge bags from the Disney store with gifts for four of our five grandchildren; gifts that we hope they will enjoy and be blessed by at Christmas. But, you and I, already have these "gifts and benefits from God. We have the gift of prayer, the availability of Bible study, the place to worship God, a fellowship of other believers; but the greatest is the relationship we have with God the Father through Jesus that we call our salvation. That moment when we asked for our sins to be taken away, and for the place in our heart that so easily gets given to others or things, is now occupied by Jesus as our Lord and Savior. As we live our our lives, we do so with the hope that we will be ready whenever the Lord returns. This coming Sunday, most churches will have their worship spaces decorated with those reminders of Christ's first visit, and the hymns and songs will be about Jesus' birth, all part of Advent. But we know and are reminded that Advent also includes Jesus' return for us someday. In the meantime, "God Himself is right alongside to keep you (us) steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus." And then Paul reminds us, "He (God) will never give up on you. Never forget that."
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for this passage and especially for the free and open access we have to You. Let us not abandon that, for You seek to hear from us and be in conversation with us. As we pray, let us not only share what's on our hearts, but be open to what is on Your heart; this we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have and great and blessed day in the Lord! Remind someone of the free and open access they have to God!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Request: Dear friends, last night Mr. Dwight Brown died in Gonzales Hospital. He battled long and hard against cancer, but last night he entered into rest from that disease and into the embrace of our Lord. Please keep his family in your prayers, especially his sons, Dakota and Austin.
