The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. [BCP p. 212]

I am in my seventies, as I write this. Much of my life is lived on autopilot. I would love to think (or say) that my life is dedicated to the honor and glory of God 24/7, but I’d be lying. I am a creature of habit. I get up at the same time every morning (give or take a minute or so); I take care of my morning ablutions, grab my coffee, and fire up the computer to see what horrors have been inflicted on the planet while I was asleep. If the coffee hasn’t quite kicked in adequately, I hold off on the news of the world and simply check my family and friend reports and posts on social media. I pay my bills and put the receipts in a great pile next to a filing folder I never get around to using. My desk is cluttered with books I am at various stages of reading, or going to read, or hope to someday read. I’d put them away, but my bookshelves are sagging beneath the already too many other books I’ve either read or haven’t gotten to yet.

I’m not a scatter-brain. I’m not a hoarder. I’m just not disciplined in the ways of orderliness. I can find exactly what I want with minimal fuss. The only time I can’t find things is when I’ve either put them away, or my wife has put them away. She doesn’t do that much anymore. She’s learned better than to do that. She is a neat-freak, and so she has ordered the house in a way that helps her stay calm, cool, and collected. But she leaves my office alone, for which I am most thankful.

However, when I know I’m going to have company, I fly into action and destroy my orderly chaos, for it is far more important to make the place presentable for my guests than it is to be able to find anything for the moment. This Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent reminds me of the chaotic life I lead, and impells me to put aside my usual slovenly demeanor, so that I can receive my guest “daily.” 

To “purify” is more than to clear up our conscience, as if we’ve been doing bad things. It is more like that house-cleaning one does, clearing away cobwebs, wiping up spills, washing, drying, and putting away dishes, and setting things right so one’s guest may feel at home. No one enters a house asking what junk we have or what we’ve done with it. They come in to be with us. They enter to spend time talking about things that matter to them and, if they are polite (at the least) talking about things that matter to us.

This fourth Sunday of Advent we find ourselves shifting focus from the Almighty God, Law-giver, and Sin-buster. We begin to turn our eyes upon Jesus, the One who came into the world to “save sinners.” We haven’t gotten to Bethlehem, yet, but we know it is just around the corner, and we’re called to remember how there was no room in the inn (or guest-quarters) in which for Jesus to be born. How about you? How about me? Have we made room? Are we making room?

This Collect also brings to mind one of Jesus’ promises: that he goes to his Father to prepare a place for us, a mansion – for US! Will we do likewise? We light the fourth candle and look around. Are you ready? Are we?