At Advent we prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas, but it also reminds us the coming of Christ again. As Christians we should all want Christ to come, yet we live all year round in Advent time, the period in which we are waiting and preparing for the return of Christ. This means that Advent should be a time characterised by vigilance. We are living in the present but trying very hard to bring to the present the realities of the future. Our lives should be characterised by the lifestyle of heaven, even though we are currently inhabitants of planet earth.

It is difficult to know how to interpret the standards of Jesus for our society. How do we ‘turn the other cheek’ in a society in which people are brutally murdered on our streets. Yet Advent tells us that we Christians are to do just that, bring God’s reign in our own lives in such a way that we are salt in this sorry society and bring about change which makes a real difference. We must not become fatigued, we prepare inwardly and spiritually, but if that means anything it is demonstrated visibly in our changed lives. Somebody said "Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life." This Advent we are challenged not to blame others, but instead to recognise that the change must come from us as we live the new lives of the Kingdom. Charles Royden

Post Communion Sentence

O Lord our God, make us watchful and keep us faithful as we await the coming of your Son our Lord; that, when he shall appear, he may not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service and joyful in his praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Commentary

Advent 1

Advent – the present meets the future
The vast majority of people who lived in Palestine at the time of Christ lived barely above the subsistence level. Their great concern was more about where their next meal was coming from, whether there would be enough for everyone, rather than over indulgence and drunkenness. They were focused on the present day and the challenges that presented rather than excesses or the future. The rich and elite on the other hand would be far less concerned about the immediate moment but would have the time and the wealth to party all night, and to be consumed by the generation of personal wealth and influence. In the gospel passage Luke addresses every element of the society of the day, both rich and poor, from the destitute to the elite. And his message is the same. Keep watch and pray. These days we may want to use satellite communications, space telescopes, weather stations, astronomers, physicists and meteorologists to warn us about the signs of cosmic changes. Advanced communications methods and a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of science have certainly improved and simplified our lives. But if we want to communicate with the One who controls true cosmic order, we need to turn to prayer. Our own human insights take us only so far, beyond this we need to turn to God.

James Kay writes: the message of Advent is that we can never take our own projections more seriously than God's promises. When we least expect it and when there is no evidence for it, God's power comes into this godless world in ways the world itself could never predict or foresee. Just ask Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary and Joseph, or Simeon and Anna. Ask Emperor Tiberius, Governor Pilate and King Herod, for they too await a promise enduring than their reigns. We cannot deny that nations remain in agony. We cannot deny that ecological collapse appears imminent. We cannot deny that we are choking on our fears. But we also cannot deny that God is faithful to Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ has a future and that our redemption is entwined with his. Advent bids us to stand erect, confident and hopeful. Whatever beclouds our unsettled future, our redemption is drawing near, and our faith will lead us to see the promised face of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes it seems that we are more concerned with the future than we are with the present. But Jesus doesn’t just encourage us to spend time interpreting the signs around us concerning the future end of time, He encourages us to experience His presence and signs within us in the present. A presence which often prompts us regarding our own inner disorder and the need for constant forgiveness and renewal. We can know Him in the present whilst looking for His coming in the future in the richness of His glory. The Savior has come, is coming and will always come.

At Advent we look forward to the second coming of Christ as Messiah, Lord and King from the perspective of a people of today, redeemed by Jesus the suffering servant and the crucified and risen Lord. The future and the present linked together by hope, the positive expectation of a promise to be fulfilled. We look forward to Christmas with hope and expectation, for the gifts and presents that will be hoped for and exchanged, the celebrations, parties and family get togethers, and also the spiritual insights that come to us in a fresh way each year at Christmas as God becomes incarnate in the form of a baby and breaks into our world. And we look to the hope that the New Year will bring.

In our mission project this year we have focused on the mission hospital in Kisiizi in Uganda. Through the generosity that has been shown by many in the church and beyond we have been able to provide hope for the sick and suffering in Kisiizi who need medical support and help. For many, they will have a hope they never expected this Christmas as we all await the coming of the King. Sam Cappleman

Meditation

Come, O Lord, in much mercy down into my soul and take possession and dwell there. A poor dwelling, I confess, for so glorious a Person as You. Yet, I am preparing for a fitting reception of you, by holy and fervent desires of your own inspiring. Enter then, and adorn my soul, and make it a worthy place for you to inhabit, since it is the work of your own hands. Give me yourself, without which, even if you should give me all that you ever have made, yet this would not satisfy my desires. Let my soul ever seek you, and let me persist in seeking, until I have found, and am in full possession of you. Amen.  St. Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430)

Hymns

1. O come o come Immanuel 493,

2. There’s a sound on the wind, 681

3. Fear not rejoice and be glad, 144

4. Come thou long expected Jesus, 102

5. Lo, He comes on clouds descending, 424

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Lord our God, keep us your servants alert and watchful as we await the return of Christ your Son, so that when he comes and knocks at the door he may find us vigilant in prayer, with songs of praise on our lips. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

God of all hope and joy, open our hearts in welcome that your Son Jesus Christ at his coming may find in us a dwelling prepared for himself; Amen. (New Zealand Prayer book)

Come Lord Jesus, come as King. Rule in our hearts, come as love. Rule in our minds, come as peace. Rule our actions, come as power. Rule in our days, come as joy. Rule in our darkness, come as light. Rule in our bodies, come as health. Rule in our labours, come as hope. Thy Kingdom come among us(David Adam)

Our heavenly Father, as we once again prepare for Christmas, help us to find time in our busy lives for quiet and thought and prayer, that we may reflect upon the wonder of your love. Allow the story of the Saviour’s birth to deepen our joy, make our worship more real and our lives more worthy of all you have done for us through the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Frank Colquhon)

The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight; and may the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen
 

Additional Material

Let nothing disturb thee,
Nothing affright thee
All things are passing,
God never changeth
Patient endurance,
attaineth to all things
Who God possesseth,
in nothing is wanting:
Alone God sufficeth.

St. Teresa of Avila

Prayers for Sunday

I am made in the image and likeness of God. I am created and sustained by the breath of God. I am held in the palm of God's hand. I am loved by God with an everlasting love. I am made by the God of vision - whose plans for me are of fullness, not harm—who gives me a future and a hope. I am created by God to live a life worthy of my vocation. I am held by God - in whom I live, I move, and have my being. I am loved by the God who sent his only Son so that I might not die but may have eternal life. I am made a new creation in Christ. I am created to be a living sacrifice of praise. I am held together with my brothers and sisters - one Body in Christ. I am loved by God who is for me - who can stand against me? I am made as God's work of art. Richard Hagen, C.SS.R

Dear Jesus, please grant peace and happiness to us all. Give to us health in mind and body. Allow us to recognise and repair our faults and show us the way to be more tolerant with others. O Jesus, let us work and play mindful of the suffering that you endured because of our sins and help us to love one another as you love us. Amen.

Father, help us to remember how precious we are in your sight and to refrain from undermining our worth or the worth of others by comparing ourselves to one another. It is because we are different that each of us special. Make us a people who are grateful for the mercy we have received and who in thanksgiving pour out the abundance of love that you shower upon us. Amen.

Lord, we come to you this day to thank you for the privilege we have to be a part of your family. We thank you for your goodness - we thank you for your love. Help us to remain consistent in our relationship with you and in our daily walk as believers. May we return good for evil and bless those who curse us. Keep us focussed on following in the footsteps of Christ and doing as he did. Lord hear our prayer. Amen.

Commentary

This is the season of Advent, when we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus, celebrated at Christmas. Next week the carol services start in our churches, with different groups holding their own services there will be several services of one kind or another each week now until Christmas. This is a difficult time, indeed by the time Christmas eventually comes some of us will be suffering from ‘FFS’ that is ‘festive fatigue syndrome.’ Its good to give these things a name, it makes them sound more serious and researched, somehow ’fed up’ doesn’t sound nearly as important.

Does part of you want to just fast forward to Christmas Eve and avoid the messy bits in between?

At Advent we prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas, but it also reminds us the coming of Christ again. This means that Advent is very much like life in general, and sometimes I suppose we wish that we could just fast forward over the messy bits, and have Jesus appear now. No wonder that the Bible finishes with a prayer hoping that Jesus will come soon’ Revelation 22:20 ‘He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.’

As Christians we should all want Christ to come, yet we live all year round in Advent time, the period in which we are waiting and preparing for the return of Christ. This means that Advent should be a time characterised by vigilance. We are living in the present but trying very hard to bring to the present the realities of the future. Our lives should be characterised by the lifestyle of heaven, even though we are currently inhabitants of planet earth.

The text from Luke encourages us to think of the Lord’s second coming on this Sunday on which we begin to prepare for Christmas. One Advent leads to another, but in the meantime we have the task of striving to build up a new community founded on justice and God’s righteousness. As Luke tells us we have to be careful not to be ‘weighed down by the anxieties of this life,’ instead we should be ‘always on the watch, and pray.’ It is hard to live in a manner which reflects God’s kingdom, rather than the somewhat shabby standards which are all too evident around us. We can too easily become preoccupied by ‘life’ just as we can loose the real meaning of Christmas in all of the preparations which cause ‘festive fatigue syndrome.’

It is difficult to know how to interpret the standards of Jesus for our society. How do we ‘turn the other cheek’ in a society in which young children are brutally murdered on our streets, as we tragically heard again this week? Yet Advent tells us that we Christians are to do just that, bring God’s reign in our own lives in such a way that we are salt in this sorry society and bring about change which makes a real difference. We must not become fatigued, we prepare inwardly and spiritually, but if that means anything it is demonstrated visibly in our changed lives. Somebody said "Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life." This Advent we are challenged not to blame others, but instead to recognise that the change must come from us as we live the new lives of the Kingdom. Charles Royden

Commentary

Advent is the season four weeks before Christmas in which we prepare for the coming of Christ. Its name comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming". The season celebrates Christ's anticipated coming again in the fullness of time to rule triumphantly over life in heaven and earth, as well as the coming of Christ as the infant Saviour whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. And because the season emphasizes Christ's comings and not just his birth, it’s more than just a time to get ready for Christmas.


The season of Advent came into being toward the middle of the sixth century. At first, the Advent Season was determined as the six Sundays leading up to Christmas. This was then reduced to four Sundays by Pope St. Gregory the Great (591-604). Before the seventh century, Christmas was a secondary feast, especially in Rome, but as it came to take on more and more importance, so the season of Advent evolved in a similar manner. Advent became more solemn and its orientation changed. From just being a time to prepare for Christmas, it became a time to look to the glorious return of the Lord and now the Sunday’s of Advent reflect this double perspective of waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus (First and Second Sundays) and the immediate preparation for the feast of Christmas (Third and Fourth Sundays). The Roman Catholics summarise Advent by saying, "When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present the ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for, by sharing in the long preparation for the Saviour's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His Second Coming."

God’s first intervention within our history came not in the form of some instant or earth shattering event, but instead God chose to come into the world as we all do, to be born as a baby in the midst of a chaotic world. By our own impatient standards this seems such a slow way to bring salvation to the world. But God may not always choose the easy answer or the quick fix. But by His earthly incarnation He demonstrates a total commitment to the very core of humanity. A commitment, to its day by day routines and challenges, a commitment to humanity from the cradle to the grave and beyond. And in that same incarnational way, God comes to us day by day, through the working of the Spirit, through His Word and Sacrament, making the ordinary extraordinary; making the broken whole; and redeeming and restoring the past, present and future, whatever they hold.
 

This is a message which is clear in the gospel reading today. History, myth, belief and imagery come together to create a vision, the strength of which is not in trying to understand the detail of Christ’s second coming but in catching a glimpse of the message of salvation and healing being completed. We should not spend our time worrying about the timing of God’s arrival or about the distraction of what might happen in the meantime. God’s reign has already broken into our world through the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ. His Kingdom is near and it is coming, even as it is already arrived but not fully realized. We are to remain watchful, and aware, and to be prepared for the final coming, which is likely to arrive any time that God’s love is shared with uncommon grace in a world so desperately in need of that love. It is through us, and through the very imperfect Church that bears His name that His love and grace continue to come and spread, at Advent and through the Christian year ahead as we look to His coming in glory.     Sam Cappleman

Meditation

When Christ comes again in His risen glory to judge the world His first questions to us might not be ‘What have you done and how have you lived?’ but ‘Are you ready?’ Advent is a time of looking forward and being prepared for the future festivities, both temporal and spiritual. How ready we are may well depend on the preparations we have made.

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Lord our God, make us watchful and keep us faithful as we wait for the coming of your Son; then when He appears, He will not find us sleeping in sin, but active in His service and joyful in His praise, for the glory of your Holy name. Amen

Living God, you have given us a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: grant that we, being risen with Him, may fix our hearts on heavenly things and share eternal life. Amen

Come, O Lord, in much mercy down into my soul and take possession and dwell there. A poor dwelling, I confess, for so glorious a Person as You. Yet, I am preparing for a fitting reception of you, by holy and fervent desires of your own inspiring. Enter then, and adorn my soul, and make it a worthy place for you to inhabit, since it is the work of your own hands. Give me yourself, without which, even if you should give me all that you ever have made, yet this would not satisfy my desires. Let my soul ever seek you, and let me persist in seeking, until I have found, and am in full possession of you. Amen.   St. Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430)

The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen