Sanctuary: Room in your heart. December 7, 2025

Decluttering a house full of stuff is like repentance. When we let go of things we don’t need, we have a change of mind, then a change of heart, and finally a change of behavior. When we repent, we’re cleaning our hearts and souls. Simply put, repentance is a spiritual decluttering.

During the Advent season, repentance helps us prepare for the birth of Jesus by making room for God and those God loves. Repentance also gives us room to seek God and it gives us room for God to nurture us.

All of us have moments of worshiping the idol of self reliance. We tell God, “You can step back,” and then we struggle. When we finally repent and accept God’s care, we become capable of nurturing others. The core of nurturing others is actively showing interest in their perspectives, thoughts, worries, and giftedness, which makes them feel seen and heard.

This week, Pastor Mia explains that when we make room in our hearts, we can make room for acceptance. We can accept others as they are. We can accept ourselves and our failures. And we can accept God exactly as is. When we repent, we make room for new habits, room for new compassion, and room for wonder.