Advent 7

Well, it turns out that Zechariah doesn't believe the angel that tells him that his very, very old wife is going to have a baby.  Oddly, the kids were underwhelmed.

But I liked the part where John is sent ahead to prepare the way.  Because I like thinking about all this preparing. I like thinking about it because it's the part I get to keep for me and Jesus. Despite my ever-fragile-yet-intact faith, or maybe because of it, I like spending every day in December spending at least part of my day thinking about what it means for Jesus to show up instead of thinking about all the other parts of Christmas that are a bit less... lighty.

I don't have any other deep thought for today because I put my back out like the old lady I am and want to mostly feel sorry for me and maybe eat ice cream.

So yesterday and today's reading:

Luke 1: 11 - 25

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.^{[b] 16} Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
¹⁹ The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”
²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”