In our Advent series, "The Perfect Gift", Pastor Will explores the anxiety associated with the countdown to Christmas, drawing parallels between the anticipation of Santa's arrival and the stressors of holiday preparations with the expectation of the arrival of Jesus. He reflects on childhood experiences and the pressure to be "nice" to avoid receiving coal, expanding to encompass broader holiday-related stresses, such as gift-giving, financial concerns, and hosting gatherings. The concept of Advent in Christian traditions is introduced, emphasizing the preparation for the coming of Jesus and the second coming. The anxiety surrounding predictions of the end times is discussed, and Pastor Will reassures listeners that living in constant countdown anxiety is not the intended approach. Instead, the message encourages staying alert and being ready for the present moment, finding peace in today rather than succumbing to countdown stress. We conclude with an invitation for listeners to reflect, confess anxieties, and participate in a communal act of preparing for Christ's coming through the symbolic laying of strips of cloth in a crib, followed by communion.