Preparing the Way: Active Waiting for Peace

Devotional

Day 1: God brings peace amid our holiday rush

They give thanks for God as the Prince of Peace who shows up even when life feels topsy-turvy; that peace meets anxiety in the middle of the season and in the small, ordinary moments of community. The congregation is reminded that medicine’s miracles and the relief of remission are signs of God’s care, and that peace is both a gift and a practice to lean into as the calendar rushes. Name one obligation to set aside this week so peace can breathe into your home and heart. [24:04]

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Reflection: When the Christmas to-do list starts to overwhelm you, which one obligation will you set aside this week to protect a margin for rest and trust the Prince of Peace?

Day 2: Prepare the way by clearing space in the wilderness

The call to "prepare the way" is heard not as a polished, public performance but as work that begins in the dry, honest places of life where distractions fall away and truth can be seen. Preparation starts in the cracked places — the wilderness where God builds a highway — and it asks for honesty, simplicity, and willingness to make room. Decide one small way you will clear a daily distraction to make space for God's voice. [41:31]

Isaiah 40:3 (ESV)
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Reflection: What single distraction will you remove this week (phone time, an extra commitment, a persistent worry) so your heart can become the "wilderness" ready for God's highway?

Day 3: John baptizes in the wilderness calling for repentance

John the baptizer stands ankle-deep in the Jordan, a thunder in the desert calling people to clear the road and repent — not as guilt for its own sake but as a rerouting of life toward God. The image of John in the hills reminds people that preparation for the Lord often begins outside of showy places, in stripped-down honesty and a willingness to change direction. Name a rut in your life you can begin to bulldoze this week with one concrete action. [39:58]

Matthew 3:1-3 (ESV)
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

Reflection: What is one habit, resentful thought, or pattern you can begin to reroute this week? What is the first simple step you will take to start that turn?

Day 4: Repentance is reorientation, not mere guilt

Repentance (metanoia) is explained as a recalculating of life’s GPS — not about wallowing in guilt but about turning, pivoting, and letting go of resentments that keep people stuck. It’s the road work of faith: rerouting, taking a bulldozer to worn ruts, and choosing a new direction that frees the heart from grudges and frozen patterns. Identify one resentment you’ve been holding and consider a small, concrete practice (prayer, confession, conversation, journaling) to begin releasing it. [44:03]

Acts 3:19 (ESV)
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,

Reflection: Which specific resentment will you begin to release this week, and what immediate, tangible step (a prayer, a letter, a spoken apology, or a boundary) will you take to begin that reorientation?

Day 5: Advent is active waiting; prepare by clearing out

Advent isn’t passive waiting like standing at a bus stop; it’s busy, active waiting — dusting the light fixtures, cleaning the house, preparing to welcome the beloved who is already present and yet still coming. The Nowen quote and the grandma story remind the congregation that waiting well requires engagement: make room, clear the distractions, and prepare the heart so that arrival is recognized. Choose one area where you’ve been "busy cleaning the light fixtures" and practice one alternative action that opens space for real waiting. [35:19]

Romans 8:25 (ESV)
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Reflection: What is one specific activity you will stop doing this week (even for a day) so that you can intentionally practice active waiting and notice the signs of Christ's coming in your life?

Sermon Summary

We gathered our whole life before God today: doctors’ reports and remissions, surgeries and travels, birthdays and the aching distance of family far away. We asked the Prince of Peace to meet us in a world that feels rushed and restless, and we celebrated how God shows up through community—youth laughing at movie night, neighbors training to protect the vulnerable, and a church that prays and sings over one another. I also reminded us that our shared ministry takes shared sacrifice; lights, heat, mortgage, hospitality—these are all part of the way we embody care, and generosity makes it possible.

This is Peace Sunday in Advent, and yet peace doesn’t come by accident. It grows where we make room. Henri Nouwen helped me name Advent as active waiting, not bus-stop waiting. It’s more like cleaning the house because Grandma’s on the way—dusting even the light fixtures—so love can be welcomed with joy. Matthew introduces us to John the Baptist, “thunder in the desert,” calling not from palaces but from the wilderness. That matters. The highway for God doesn’t start in curated spaces; it begins in the dry, honest places where we finally stop performing and tell the truth.

“Prepare the way” is not about polishing our image; it’s about repentance as roadwork. Metanoia isn’t guilt or mere “I’m sorry.” It is a reorientation—a pivot of the heart—a rerouting when our inner GPS keeps sending us down rutted paths. Repentance is taking a bulldozer to the grooves of resentment, fear, and tired assumptions we keep nurturing even though they rob us of peace. If we want peace to come, we clear the debris.

So during Advent, let’s practice an active waiting: make a little quiet, tell the truth to God, forgive what’s been festering, and question assumptions that have gone unexamined. In the wilderness of our real lives, God is building a highway. Peace isn’t late. It’s looking for a way in.

Key Takeaways

1. Practice active, not passive, waiting. Active waiting is engaged love, not irritated scrolling at the “bus stop.” It looks like preparing real space—inner and outer—for Presence to be welcomed. Small, faithful actions (prayer, simplicity, confession) become the dusting and sweeping of our hearts. Peace grows where we set the table for it. [38:37]
2. Prepare the way in wilderness. God’s highway starts in unvarnished places—the cracked soil of our honest lives. When we stop performing, we meet God where we really are, not where we wish we were. That is where consolation becomes credible and peace becomes possible. Bring your wilderness; that’s the construction site. [43:10]
3. Repentance is reorientation, not guilt. Metanoia is a turning of direction, not self-condemnation. Like a wise GPS, the Spirit keeps inviting rerouting—not to shame us, but to lead us onto truer roads. Take a bulldozer to the ruts you’ve normalized; new paths make room for peace to travel in. [44:59]
4. Release resentment and stale assumptions. Resentment promises control but delivers captivity; assumptions keep us from curiosity, humility, and growth. Advent asks us to drop what clutters love’s way, to forgive without denial, and to reexamine stories we’ve stopped questioning. Letting go is not loss; it’s the space where peace breathes. [46:50]
5. Seek peace together in community. Peace becomes tangible when we carry each other—prayers, meals, songs, generosity, showing up. Shared life is how God’s care puts on skin and walks around. Let yourself be loved and become love for another; community is one of God’s clearest roads to peace. [27:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[18:49] - Health updates and intercession
[20:20] - Singing happy birthday to Manny
[22:18] - Community ICE-response training
[24:04] - Prayer to the Prince of Peace
[28:34] - Offering and generosity invitation
[35:19] - Advent Peace: clearing space
[36:00] - Henri Nouwen on active waiting
[38:37] - Cleaning for grandma: readiness
[39:58] - John the Baptist: thunder in the desert
[41:31] - “Prepare the way” two readings
[44:03] - Repentance as road construction
[44:59] - Metanoia: rerouting, not mere guilt
[46:50] - Letting go of resentment and assumptions

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
- Matthew 3:1–4
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”
Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Observation questions

What three concrete details about John’s ministry and setting does Matthew give in these verses (where he preaches, what he says, and what he looks/feeds like)? How do those details shape your first impression of him?
The text uses the image “prepare the way; make his paths straight.” What physical images come to mind when you hear that language, and how do they help you notice what needs to be done?
The sermon contrasted “a voice crying in the wilderness” with preparation that starts in dry, honest places. How does that distinction change where preparation begins? [41:31]
John was called “thunder in the desert” in the teaching. What does that metaphor suggest about the tone and timing of God’s arrival in hard places? [39:58]

Interpretation questions

If repentance (metanoia) is best understood as reorientation or rerouting rather than guilt, how does that affect how a person responds to conviction or correction in daily life? [44:59]
What does it mean the highway for God “begins in the dry, honest places” rather than in curated, polished spaces? How would that change where people feel safe to bring their struggles? [43:10]
Repentance was described as road-construction — clearing debris and taking a bulldozer to ruts. How does that image help explain the difference between surface apologies and deep change? [44:03]

Application questions

“Practice active waiting” — make a little quiet, tell the truth to God, forgive what’s festering. [38:37] What is one specific, small practice you will try this week to turn passive waiting into active waiting (e.g., 10 minutes of quiet, a short confession, deleting one distracting app)? When exactly will you do it?
“Bring your wilderness; that’s the construction site.” [43:10] What honest, unpolished place in your life do you tend to hide? Name one step you can take to bring that place to God or to one trusted person this week.
“Repentance is rerouting, not mere guilt.” [44:59] Identify one habit, recurring thought, or resentment that keeps steering you into old grooves. What is one concrete reroute (a new habit, accountability, or spiritual practice) you will start to test in the next 7–14 days?
“Release resentment and stale assumptions.” [46:50] Is there a specific person or long-held assumption you need to forgive or reexamine? What is a single, measurable step you can take toward letting it go (a conversation, a written letter you may never send, or a prayer you will speak)?
“Seek peace together in community” — we carry one another with prayers, meals, songs, generosity. [27:40] What practical way can this group (or you with one other person) show tangible care in the next month (bring a meal, offer a ride, sit with someone in silence)? Who will you commit to help and when?

Use these questions as a guide for honest conversation. Aim to listen more than speak; let people name their wilderness and, where comfortable, make one concrete next step.

Sermon Clips

Because there are Two kinds of waiting Right There's waiting At the bus stopScrolling on our phone Checking the time Annoyed Because we're waiting We're waiting In line at the Grocery storeI'm annoyed I'm irritated Why are these people Taking so long Ahead of me Why can't they Just check their Just scan a little Faster people What is wrong with you It's not that hard Anybody can do it Come on Why am I waiting For this That's not y'all But that's meDrives me crazy But that's a Kind of passive waiting Right [00:37:50] (46 seconds) #ActiveVsPassiveWaiting

We're waiting In line at the Grocery storeI'm annoyed I'm irritated Why are these people Taking so long Ahead of me Why can't they Just check their Just scan a little Faster people What is wrong with you It's not that hard Anybody can do it Come on Why am I waiting For this That's not y'all But that's meDrives me crazy But that's a Kind of passive waiting Right [00:38:05] (30 seconds) #ImpatientWaiting

We are introduced Today to a figure That kind of Embodies this Active waiting John the baptist Or John the baptizer Who was also known As thunder in the desert And I really Kind of dig that Y'all I mean Thunder in the desert Think of the Dry desert Right And when thunder Shows up Guess what's Coming with it Rain [00:40:20] (22 seconds) #ThunderInTheDesert

Matthew tells us That John was not In a city John didn't have Microphones or Banners or Catered decorations Or events John was just In the wildernessIn the The hills of Judea In the hills of Palestine And I don't know If you've ever Seen pictures of it But I've been there I know some of you Have been there It's kind of this Dried out kind of Place [00:40:56] (29 seconds) #WildernessMinistry

The wilderness Is where God Is building a highway And most of us We want peace Just to show up Peace just to Simply arriveBreezing into our Lives like the bus Pulls into the bus Stop We didn't have to Do anything The bus just Arrived right on Schedule like it Was supposed to Peace just arrives Right on schedule Like it's supposed to [00:43:14] (29 seconds) #PeaceOnSchedule

Last night We were Joking about We got lost IshWhere my GPS wanted me To go one way But I went A different way And Arlene Pulls out Her GPS To try to Augment The GPS To get us Back on the Road where We needed To be And we were Laughing About the Dueling GPS's Right Because We sometimes Follow this Right But it Reorients Us [00:44:52] (26 seconds) #RecalculateYourPath

Repentance Is not Just aboutUs feeling Guilty It's not Just about Saying I'm Sorry It's about Reorienting Ourselves It's about Turning It's about Pivoting It's about ReroutingIt's about Taking a Bulldozer To the Ruts that We have Worn in Our lives It's letting Go of the Resentment That we Just hang On [00:45:46] (27 seconds) #RepentanceIsReorientation

to And we Keep Nurturing And we Keep Feeding And we Keep Saying You know What I need To hold On to This resentment For some Reason That somehow Doesn't make us Feel any better And yet we Can't let it Go I don't know About you Do you have Any resentment Like that [00:46:12] (17 seconds) #LetGoOfResentment

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Preparing the Way: Active Waiting for Peace

Devotional

Day 1: God brings peace amid our holiday rush

Day 2: Prepare the way by clearing space in the wilderness

Day 3: John baptizes in the wilderness calling for repentance

Day 4: Repentance is reorientation, not mere guilt

Day 5: Advent is active waiting; prepare by clearing out

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Preparing the Way: Active Waiting for Peace

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