How are you getting ready for Christmas? Have you gotten out your Christmas tapes or CDs yet? Have you started your gift shopping? Have you decided what Christmas cookies you are going to bake this year? Have you written your Christmas cards yet? Have you put up your Christmas tree?

Over the years it seems like Christmas preparations are starting earlier and earlier. Now some stores are starting to put up their Christmas displays as early as Halloween. While that may seem out of place, I suspect they are merely following that traditional advice, "One can never start too early to get ready for something big."

How are we getting ready for Christmas in the church? Let's allow the Gospel lesson from Mark 13 to set the stage for us.

"But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darke…