As I sit in my office chair and ponder the Christmas Season, one question keeps running through my head-How can we miss Immanuel in the midst of the season that is about Him? I think about the to-do lists, the gift lists, the mailing lists, the church lists, the list lists, etc. and I never made a “Time with God” list, or a “look for the presence of Holiness in everything” list. I think back over the message of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and realize that I get caught up in the business of the season and forget to recognize the presence of Immanuel. Henry Nowen said, “The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize Him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.” I don’t always have my ears and eyes open and tuned to recognize the coming of the Lord. Do you? Of course not, you’re human too. However, we can all be more intentional and shift our focus. My challenge for us this season is to find a way to slow down and be more aware. Open our eyes and ears a little more to experience the coming of the Lord in our lives. I have included the intercessory prayer from the lectionary for week one of Advent as this is my prayer for us, for you, right now. 

We seek the mighty God
in the most unlikely places
as a child in a stable,
and in an empty tomb.
May God hear these prayers,
which come from the unlikely corners of our lives.

Give us ears to hear, O God,
and eyes to watch,
that we may know your presence in our midst
during this holy season of joy
as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ. Amen.