And there are other ways, less secular, less commercial, of preparing our hearts and minds to receive the love of God, the baby Jesus. It isn't just coincidence that we have had the Labyrinth here at the church for the past two weeks. I am sorry we couldn't have it for the whole of Advent. Walking the labyrinth is to make a journey, a spiritual journey, through a spiritual wilderness perhaps. To follow the twisting path into the center, praying, meditating, some have been known to dance and to sing, and there to pause for however long one feels the need, then to re-trace the path back out, is often to find a new dimension in one's life and maybe a new relationship with God.
People often slip into the church and make that walk alone, physically alone.
Although you are each doing your own thing, making your own journey, you meet or pass by other travelers. There is a sense of community, in that the path you each follow is physically the same, even though spiritually it may be very different for each one. But however you do it, make that journey along the labyrinth, at the very least it provides a few moments of peace and quiet in the hubbub of everyday life. It is a way to prepare for the coming of the Lord. And there are still other ways to prepare.