Way back in 1969, and writing in The Soldier’s Armoury, - does anyone remember that? - John Robinson said, “Advent reminds us that Christ is always coming. There is a danger of separating the first and second comings so completely that in between them we have nothing but an absentee Christ.”We spend a lot of our religious activity time looking back, trying to learn from the Scriptures what we can about the Gospel’s implications, the meaning of the ministry and teaching of Jesus the Christ, and the interpretation of all that in the life of the Early Church, especially through Paul’s letters. And so it is this morning that we have had readings from Luke’s Gospel, from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, as well as a reminder from the prophet Malachi – “the LORD whom you seek will suddenly come to His Temple… But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?”Can you?Can I?Certainly, many in the crowd along the banks of the River Jordan,straining to hear John-the-Prophet-Baptizer bawling insults at them seemed to think they could - because they were children of Abraham.“Not so fast,” he counters, “You need to bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance!”Repentance, may we remember, is not primarily about penance – that’s a bait-and-switch doctrine designed to sustain guilt and fear – but about changing the way we think – changing our minds about God-who-is-Love, about ourselves-who-are-the-Beloved, each one of us, and about how life is. Our reassurance comes from the fact that God in Christ has taken all the initiative in rescuing us, restoring us, reconciling us – to Himself, and to one another, and to all Creation. Indeed, as the Psalmist says, “If You, LORD, should keep an account of our sins and treat us accordingly, O Lord, who could stand [before you in judgment and claim innocence, as it were]? But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4)Indeed, and Paul’s preferred theme throughout his ministry boils down to this: “Christ in you, and you, and you, and me…the hope of glory.” And, more than that (if that isn’t mind-blowing enough, already!), “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honour God with your body.” (1 Cor. 6:191-20 NLT)That’s something we might need to think more seriously about – because everything is spiritual, everything matters – Every. Thing. Matters.Consider this: “I am crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I live in the flesh -in this body! – I live through the faith of the Son of God who loves me and gave himself up for me.”This is why every day is Advent! And this was at the heart of Paul’s joy over the followers of Jesus, gathered in the church at Philippi. Not only are they faithful in standing with him in the living and preaching of the Gospel, but also in sharing with him in the everyday grace of God in Christ.I was surprised, one morning as I was praying for us all here at St Peter’s in Sheringham, when I had an intuitive thought – “Can these bones live?” That was the Lord’s line to Ezekiel, wasn’t it? The response involved Ezekiel calling upon the Holy Spirit to “breathe” life into those bones. It was a rhetorical question about us, too, brothers and sisters, who gather here, week after week to worship, or to eat together, or to chat over coffee and scones, perhaps even to pray for one another, or sit together in Contemplative Prayer, being simply present to the presence of Christ within.My prayer becomes, then, an echo of Paul’s: “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight [of Christ within] to help you determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ – the everyday of Christ – you may be pure and blameless, having produced – [as John insisted] – the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”To conclude, may I share this poem with you, based on Luke 3:2-14, by Drew Jackson, from his collection God Speaks Through Wombs, and titled Waters of Insurrection …I went out into the desertwhere the prophet speaks his word.He spoke of things I cannot saythat I had ever heard.His mouth was filled with power.His eyes burned deep with fire.But not because he hated,it was justice he desired.He wanted public love to rolllike fast and mighty rivers.The things he said, they touched my coreAnd gave my soul a shiver.I stood and listened closelyto hear him talk oppression,but I could little understandhis talk about confession.I came to hear him speak aboutthe sins of evil Rome,but what he wanted was for meto think upon my own.Apparently, from what he saysmy sins make me complicit.He told me that repentanceis my real act of resistance.He stood knee-deep in waterand reached in my direction.I grabbed his hand, and I stepped in,committing insurrection…Hallelujah!Toby Perks, trainee LLM
‘There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!” ’ (Psalm 4:6)Hymn: Long ago, prophets knew...Malachi 3:1-4; Philippians 1: 3-11‘The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.’ John 1:9Let us confess our sins: Most merciful God, we acknowledge our failings. Forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love and power forgive us and free us from our sins, heal and strengthen us by his Spirit, and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds, that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as judge and saviour we may be ready to receive him, who is our Lord and our God. Amen.Luke 3:1-6Please see the message from the minister.In joyful expectation of his being with us we pray to Jesus:Come to your Church as Lord. We pray for all to come to know your love, now and always.Come to your world as King of the nations. We pray for peace on Earth.Come to our community as a family member. We pray that our relationships will thrive.Come to the suffering as Saviour and comforter. We pray for those on our hearts and minds today. Break into our lives, where we struggle with sickness and distress, and set us free to serve you for ever.Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls. We remember those we have loved and lost. Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory. Lift us up to meet you, that with all of your saints and angels we may live and reign with you in your new creation.We join together in the words of the Lord’s prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.Hymn: Purify my heart...May God himself, the God of peace, make us perfect and holy, and keep us safe and blameless in spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and may the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen.As we await our coming Saviour, let us go in the peace of Christ. Thanks be to God.
You are welcome to come and pray in St Peter’s Church, open to visitors from 10am until 3pm daily except for Wednesday mornings, whoever you are.You may engage with our interactive prayer stations if you wish.If you would like us to include someone in prayer, do add their first name to our prayer list.
How many of you have started today with an advent calendar?As a child, my favourite advent calendar wasn’t a chocolate one. We had a rather tatty cardboard calendar of a stable scene. Each day there was a wee paper animal with a number on a tab that you slid into place. A pair of cows, some chickens, a cat with a basket of kittens.I thought it was very special. Though it pales in comparison to some of the advent calendars of today. A quick search online showed me that Fortnam and Masons will even charge you for one costing £175!Advent calendars were brought about by German Lutherans to be used as aids to daily devotionals in the advent period. The small images they showed that linked to the story of the Nativity are a far cry from all sorts of sweets and consumables that people enjoy in the run up to Christmas today.The original advent calendars were about prayer and reflection on what Christ’s coming into the world continues to mean for all of humanity. There are reflections of this theme in the reading today from Luke’s gospel. When you first hear this reading, it all sounds rather frightening and grim. Perhaps that’s to be expected? It is after all a piece of apocalyptic writing.Yet in Biblical terms the word apocalypse means revelation. The final book in the Bible, translated literally from Greek, could be called the Apocalypse rather than Revelation. So, it is worth having another look at this reading, it’s not as grim as it might first appear.It starts: 25 ‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” – we’re reminded of how powerless our great nations truly are when compared to God’s creation. For all our hubris, for the money we spend on weapons and warfare we are very small indeed.The reading continues: 27 Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’In response to our fear, we see Christ. An incredible image of Christ coming in a cloud with all the power and glory of God on full display. Then we are to “stand up” and “raise” our “heads” to look at our redemption.When Moses goes up to the top of the mountains to speak with God he cannot look at God. God says to him “no-one shall see me and live”. Yet here we are all being told to look towards our redemption. Every single one of us are given this invitation by Jesus. There is no restriction of nationhood, there is no restriction of race, sexuality, gender identity, age or state of health. Christ’s second coming referred to in the reading is for everyone. It's an incredibly hopeful passage. The parable of the fig tree talks about the sprouting leaves as a sign of summer. For people in ancient times the Summer was the days of plenty when food was abundant, and the risk of death reduced. Jesus’s parable is reassuring us that the coming of the Son of Man is like the spring arriving.Then he gives the ultimate promise. “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”. All the things we see around us are finite and temporary, but the word of Jesus, the word of God is truly eternal and unending. There is no promise more secure than this.In other words, Christ was born in Bethlehem for the salvation of all humankind. Christ will come again for the redemption of all humankind.This season of advent is an opportunity, a reminder to all of us that God’s promises are always fulfilled. That no matter the despair we might feel when we look at the destruction we have wrought in the world, there is always hope. No matter the depths and darkness of winter, spring will come again.This advent look again at the reading from Luke. Look again at your advent calendar and think on what it means that Christ came into the world for you.And look up. Raise your heads and look towards Christ’s coming in glory.Amen.Rev. Iain GrantAssistant Curate, Sheringham St Peter
