The days up to Christmas sometimes feel like a bit of a machine of which we are only a very tiny part and that somehow makes Christmas feel a bit remote to us. Advent reminds us that the coming of Christ is a hope meant for the whole world.The prophets spoke of a Saviour who would bring justice, peace, and restoration for all people. John the Baptist’s cry in the wilderness was not directed at a select few, but at anyone willing to prepare their heart. Advent’s promised joy is for everyone: universal, generous, and overflowing.Yet this season also speaks personally. Advent invites us not only to watch for God’s work in the world but to recognise His coming into the specifics of our own lives. The joy we celebrate today is not abstract; it is the quiet assurance that God knows our struggles, meets us in our waiting, and shines His light into our particular darkness. The call to “prepare the way of the Lord” begins in the landscape of our own hearts.Fr Simon
Traditionally on the second Sunday of Advent our attention turns to the prophets. 600 years before Jesus was born Isaiah was prophesying to a people who had no hope. He was telling them that a light would shine in the darkness. That a child was coming who would be the prince of peace. Fast-forward 600 years and John the Baptist emerges in the wilderness to tell people that the kingdom of God is at hand. The one whom Isaiah foretold has come. And he is coming with great power to separate the wheat from the chaff. Prophets are seldom popular but we are called to be the prophets of our own times and we can start that by listening. Listening to God, to society, to the pain and the hope of the ignored and the marginalized and to be a voice for those who have no voice and to be an answer to the prayer of the forgotten and to share the good news of the one who comes as the Prince of Peace.Rev Liz
“…they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2.4) This great call for the Peace of God to overcome the hatred and violence of the world is so important that it is repeated in the Book of Micah (4.5). Combined with Isaiah’s call to see that justice is done for the sake of the most vulnerable and the oppressed (Isaiah 1.17) - a theme repeated many times in the Old Testament - we are given a powerful image of God’s character. It is this image of God that we meet in Jesus - who blesses not the mighty and powerful, but the oppressed and the peacemaker (Matthew 5.1-12). This is the Jesus we long for and are called to imitate as we await the coming of his Kingdom.Rev Richard
“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”” Jeremiah 23:5-6This is an amazing scripture, filled with hope and optimism.Can you imagine a place where those in power deal wisely, executive justice and live righteously? Where people live in safety? It is a place where us as Christians aspire to live. It is a position we aspire to hold. It is an environment where we all live together in harmony and mutual respect. This can only happen when we acknowledge Christ as King. We can look to others to make life better, but this is all our responsibility. We can start by loving our neighbours and those who are around us and always having kind words to say to each other.Rev Jassica
We began November by celebrating All Saints and remembering those we love but see no longer at our All Souls service. Last Sunday we remembered those who have died in conflict on Remembrance Sunday. Continuing this theme of remembrance and reflection we come, this week, to Safeguarding Sunday which is a moment in the Church’s calendar to reflect and recommit ourselves to making our churches safe places for all; to reflect on our safeguarding journey, and highlight all the good work that is being done to create safer places. Defending the rights of vulnerable people is integral to Christian faith and teaching.Sadly, the church hasn’t always done this well. But, in recent years, huge progress has been made in taking responsibility for safeguarding in church and protecting the most vulnerable. Creating a safe church is not just one person’s responsibility but it falls upon all of us to be attentive to our surroundings and speak out when necessary in order to love and serve one another.Rev Liz
A part of the Remembrance Sunday service we will use in St George’s Park is titled “Act of Commitment & Hope”. Hope can feel like a fragile thing these days. We look around and see headlines filled with conflict, hardship, and uncertainty. Yet as Christians, we are called to be people of hope. This is not because we can see how everything will work out, but because we trust in God who holds the future.Christian hope isn’t wishful thinking or blind optimism. It is the deep conviction that God is faithful and that even in the darkest moments, new life is possible. The cross was not the end of the story, and neither are the challenges of today’s world.Resurrection hope means believing that God is already at work bringing light out of shadow and purpose out of pain; just as was true in wars and conflicts past.As we look toward the future for our church, our community, and our world; let us pray that we may be renewed in hope. May we become, in word and deed, a people through whom others glimpse the steadfast love and faithfulness of God.Fr Simon
