Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Sunday, December 11
By Rev. Palmer Cantler, Associate Pastor
Always Check the Christmas Lights
Read: Luke 11:33 CEB
“People don’t light a lamp and then put it in a closet or under a basket. Rather, they place the lamp on a lampstand so that those who enter the house can see the light.”
I love Christmas lights. When Brent and I bought our house a few years ago, I was so excited that we would be able to decorate with lights. One Advent Sunday in 2021, while I was at the church all day, Brent spent the afternoon on our roof hanging Christmas lights across the front of the house. A friend helped him string lights across bushes and around the door, with the hope of surprising me that evening.
The only problem: they didn’t test the lights first. Upon plugging in the strand, only half of the roof lit up.
You might be saying, “rookie mistake,” but too often we make the same misstep in our faith. We decorate our homes, address Christmas cards, and bake goodies to welcome the season. Yet, we spend little time checking if the light of our soul is working. It’s often much easier to bake another batch of cookies than spend time with God reflecting on the light of Christ.
On the years where I’ve nurtured God’s light inside me, Advent and Christmas hold a deeper meaning. The lights on the roof don’t just seem brighter, they hold a visual reminder of the promise that Christ came to bring light even in the darkest places of our world.
Prayer
Illuminating God, as we see the lights of the season around us, may we find your promise in their glow. Give us pause to evaluate our relationship with you that we might reflect the radiance of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
