Last Sunday in my sermon I asked how many of you are like me, and your house is never cleaner than five minutes before guest arrive. In both services there was a murmur of agreement and knowing nods. Although I wasn’t thinking about it when I wrote the sermon, in reflection it brings to mind one of my favorite poems by Mary Oliver. It comes from her book of poems Thirst, and in reading it again today I realized it is the perfect Advent poem as we wait for the coming of Christ. May it be a prayer for you this week.
Making the House Ready for the Lord
Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but
Still nothing is as shining as it should be
for you. Under the sink, for example, is an
uproar of mice—it is the season of their
many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves
and through the walls the squirrels
have gnawed their ragged entrances—but it is the season
when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And
the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard
while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;
what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling
in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up the path, to the door. And still I believe you will
come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox
the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know
that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,
as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.
In peace,
Kristin+