“Anyone who needs to be prayed over, please come forward to the front of the altar,” the preacher says. So Johnny gets in line and it was his turn, the preacher asks, “Johnny, what do you want me to pray for you about?” And Johnny replies, “Preacher, I need to have you pray for my hearing.” The preacher then puts one finger in Johnny’s ear, the other hand on his head and he prays and prays and prays over Johnny. And prays and prays, he prays a blue streak for Johnny. After about 10 minutes, the preacher removes his hand, stands back and asks, “Johnny, how is your hearing now?’ And Jonny says, “Preacher, I don’t know. My hearing isn’t until next Wednesday.”

I like that one. The preacher missed the entire point. At the same time, I’ve always enjoyed placing my hand upon the head of a child, too young to receive Holy Communion, brought up by mom or dad. The small child is either carried up or walks up next to a parent on their own, I always place my right hand on the top of the child’s head for a blessing. Many years ago as a young priest at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Schaumburg, I would do the same thing. Every child coming up, put my right hand on their head for a blessing. So one day, a little six-year-old boy leaving church asked his mother, he says, “Mom, how come I go up with you every time for Holy Communion, why does father Greg measure me?”

In my mind, I’m giving the child blessing, in his mind I’m measuring him like a ride at Great America, too small for the ride, but how do I and how do all of us measure Advent’s real meaning without missing Advent’s purpose? Despite our busyness these four weeks of the Advent season, Advent puts speed bumps along our December path for a reason. Why? Because Advent is a wonderful Christian measuring stick. The Advent season calls and seeks us to be our very best and bring us to a deeper understanding of Christmas’ real meaning, beyond the hectic pace of gifts to be bought, and cards that have to be mailed.

But how many times do I miss blessings because they’re not packaged the way that I thought? How many times in life do I miss blessings because they are not packaged as I thought or expected? Today we start the holy season of Advent. A time of waiting, preparation, and joyful anticipation. Be watchful, be alert, and take time this Advent because people don’t care how much you know, but they want to know how much you care.