Imagine opening your call agreement and unexpectedly finding that your compensation package includes a jar of honey and a pound of locusts. No pension details. No housing allowance. No benefits. Just insects and sweetener.
Most clergy would call a special board meeting. John the Baptist called it lunch.
Advent always invites us to picture the unexpected. A prophet in the wilderness announcing peace. A child born under a borrowed roof brings salvation. God’s work moving forward in ways that do not match our expectations, budgets, or timetables.
This week, as we focus on Advent peace, we remember that the peace of God does not always arrive in polished form. It is not defined by comfort. It is not confirmed by outward success. Biblical peace is wholeness in God’s presence, even when life feels unfinished. It is the assurance that God is acting, even when the setting looks like a wilderness.
John the Baptist reminds us that our calling is not only to receive peace, but to prepare the way for it. Preparing the way of the Lord means clearing space where anxiety has piled up, leveling pride, mending what has been broken, and smoothing paths so others may walk toward Christ without unnecessary stumbling blocks. Sometimes peace begins not with stillness, but with holy work.
For clergy, peace isn’t found in perfect systems or stress-free seasons. Peace grows when congregations and pastors commit to journey together through both abundance and scarcity, clarity and uncertainty. When the body of Christ extends grace during change, when clergy offer patience in transition, and when both speak truth in love, peace becomes more than a seasonal theme. It becomes part of our shared life.
For congregations, Advent peace is not passive. It asks us to prepare a room: a room in our calendars, a room in our giving, a room in our imagination for how God may be leading the church forward. Even a stump can become the beginning of a new branch. Even a wilderness can become a place where hope speaks.
And for clergy, Advent peace calls for a faithful steadiness. The sermons keep coming; the needs remain constant, and the work of ministry rarely slows in December. Yet this season reminds us that we do not carry the message alone. The Prince of Peace still goes ahead of us, and the Holy Spirit equips us to prepare the way with courage.
May your Advent be filled with quiet assurance, meaningful connection, and the simple confidence that God is already preparing a path where peace can take root. Whether you are serving with resources or with honey and locusts, the God who called you is the God who sustains you.
Peace to you in this season and in the work you are called to share.