Stirring Up

 

It's cold. I know, people laugh at those of us who live in this part of the country because we declare it's cold when the daytime temperature is just below 60 degrees and the nights are hovering just at or slightly below the freezing level. These temperatures usually don't come to this part of Arizona until after the new year. This year they started dropping in late October. Don't get me wrong; I'd far rather add blankets and mittens than wonder what else in the clothing line I can remove when the weather is above 110 F. Somehow, it's more fun to have Christmas with cold weather than lukewarm at 70-80 degrees.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the third Sunday of Advent already. I keep checking the calendar to ensure I haven't skipped a Sunday or two since Thanksgiving. On Sunday, I will be sure because I will hear the familiar collect,

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come
among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver
us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and
the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 211)

That collect always makes me smile because it reminds me of a tradition back home. Of course, the pre-Christmas kitchens were frequently warm from baking sessions. They smelled pleasantly of wide varieties of cookies, pies, and other treats. Hearing "Stir up…" in church was a reminder to get going on the baking had it not been started already. Of course, it was a bit late for the fruitcakes since they needed time to steep in their brandy basting, but for everything else, there was time. How lovely it was to come home from school to walk in the door and get a whiff of sugar cookies, gingerbread men, Danish cookies rich with butter, and all sorts of flavorings and spices. We still ate pumpkin pie at Christmas but added to it with apple (old fashioned or Dutch), pecan, or my particular favorite, mince. Some things (especially the cookies) may have to have additional batches to compensate for the depredations into the already-baked stock, but that was just part of the holiday tradition.

The collect isn't aimed so much at bakers and homemakers. It's directed to God to help clear up our messes far worse than a kitchen crowded with used cookie cutters, cake and pie pans, spatulas, rolling pins, big spoons, oven mitts, and colored sprinkles and sugars used to decorate. It reminds us that we cannot forgive our own sins or get past them, and we can be delivered and forgiven only through God's grace, Jesus's love, and the Spirit's power.

We can't always detect God's stirring up of power. But then, we can't always notice the particular flavor of vanilla or ginger in the cookies, but we would surely notice the absence with our first tasting. God's power is often very subtle, but it is there, working like yeast or baking powder.

Perhaps the best part is that God's power isn't a commodity we must run to the store for. It's available whenever needed and requested. It simply requires us to ask for it, trust it will be given, and be thankful for its presence. It won't be gone like store Christmas displays on Christmas Day, rained out, or otherwise ruined or canceled. It doesn't require the Energizer Bunny or Diehard battery. It is there because God put it there, and because God loves us, we can access it anytime.

It's time for me to get out the flour and other ingredients. Suddenly, I'm in the mood to bake, even though there will only be the two of us this Christmas. That's okay; God's still here with power that is still abundant, and Phoebe and I can have all the cookies and pie we want. God is not only powerful but discreet as well. Thank you, God!