By Trevor Sannes
Watch the sermon recording on YouTube.
Thanksgiving is a holiday of planning. Who will come? What food should we prepare? What dietary needs must we consider? Should we provide everything ourselves or ask for help? What time should the meal begin? So many questions, so much preparation.
For some, these holidays bring stress. For others, the planning itself is a joy. And Thanksgiving, of course, is always fixed—the fourth Thursday of November.
But imagine if someone told you that next year Thanksgiving would be different. It would happen sometime in 2026, but you wouldn’t know the exact date, time, or even who the guests would be. How would you prepare? How could you plan for such an event? After all, food has a shelf life, and anyone who has cooked a turkey knows it doesn’t thaw overnight. Preparation is essential.
I think of my grandmother, who was always ready for the unexpected. Growing up, my sister and I would visit her while our dad and grandfather worked on the farm. I remember one day when a car pulled into the driveway. I called out, “Grandma—someone’s here!” She looked out, recognized the visitor, and immediately went into the kitchen. The coffee pot was started, treats she had baked earlier were placed on the table, and by the time the guest walked in, everything was ready. This was the 1980s—before cell phones, before social media—when people simply dropped in unannounced. And my grandmother was always prepared.
As I reflected on today’s gospel, I realized how much her example speaks to us. Jesus tells us that no one knows the day or the hour of his coming. The message is clear: be prepared. My grandmother didn’t know who might arrive, but she lived ready to welcome them. Likewise, we are called to be spiritually prepared for Christ’s arrival.
So how do we prepare spiritually? Jesus gives us the answer: love God, and love our neighbor. It isn’t a checklist we complete once and forget. It’s daily practice.
This season of Advent is a time to pause and reflect: How are we doing? What could we be doing better? How are we living out the teachings of Christ? Just as schools and workplaces run fire or severe weather drills to prepare for emergencies, we too need spiritual “drills”—habits that keep us ready.
Spiritual practice takes many forms. A few weeks ago, our church hosted the Hope Fair, where we assembled Kindness Bags. Some gathered supplies, others packed the bags, and together we shared them with our community. That simple act was spiritual preparation—showing love to our neighbors in need.
Preparation can also mean giving of our time, talents, or resources. Perhaps you serve as a Big Brother or Big Sister, mentoring a child. Perhaps you bring a meal to a sick friend or injured co-worker. Each act of love is a way of being ready.
The point is this: spiritual preparation looks different for each of us, because each of us has different gifts. But the heart of it is the same—showing God’s love to our neighbor.
There’s a well-known analogy about rocks, pebbles, and sand. The rocks represent the most important things—faith, family, relationships, vocation. The pebbles are the smaller but necessary tasks. The sand and water are the extras that fill in the gaps. If we fill the jar first with sand, there’s no room for the rocks. But if we begin with the rocks, everything else can fit around them. Advent reminds us to keep our priorities in order, to make space for what truly matters.
My hope is that this Advent, each of us will take time to reflect on our spiritual preparedness. Let us not allow the sand to crowd out the rocks. Let us prepare our hearts to welcome Christ, whenever he comes.
Amen.
