Rev’d Caroline - [email protected], 01285 712467

Rev’d Vicky Falvey -  [email protected]

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah 7.10-16; Romans 1.1-7; Matthew 1.18-end

On this fourth Sunday in Advent we remember the last of our major figures who have guided our focus through this season of preparation – the Virgin Mary. We might be used to reading Luke’s account of the holy couple learning that Mary is to bear God’s Son – where it is Mary who hears from the Lord, in the form of the angel coming and speaking to her. This moment is called the ‘Annunciation’, when Mary first hears the truth of the momentous change that is about to happen in her life, and that of her family.

Here though, we have Matthew’s account, and here we see not through Mary’s eyes, but Joseph’s. Joseph doesn’t have a face-to-face encounter with the divine messenger, but instead is confronted in a dream. The Lord’s word is clear – do not seek to end your engagement to Mary, but instead stand by her, because her pregnancy, and the son that she will bear, are part of God’s eternal plan, spoken in the words of the prophets from centuries past.

For both Mary and Joseph, learning that God is breaking into their lives is such an incredible moment. I cannot imagine going through the experience that they have. The resilience and depth of faith that they both have to hear God’s word and to not only accept it, but embrace it, ready to have their lives changed beyond recognition. Apart from anything else, there is something so down to earth about this – we think about God speaking through his prophets, or working great miracles like the parting of the Red Sea, but here he’s actually coming into the mess and confusion of this world. He’s going to be born and live among us, in a real human family, with real (and flawed) human parents. This isn’t some far-off, untouchable divine power. God is ‘with us’ in the closest and most powerful way imaginable.

So often, especially these days it feels, we look around us and wonder how it is that things can be as they are. How people can have it in their hearts to be so callous, so cruel, so careless of others. How leaders can think that violence, oppression and war are viable options to achieve their ends. We can see clearly the darkness that human beings are capable of. It is into this darkness that Jesus comes – born weak and helpless, born as the Son of God, and the son of Mary, taking on this messy human nature to transform it from within. This is what he comes to save and redeem. We know we need it – we need him.

In these last few days of Advent, may we not shy away from our need of redemption, but eagerly look forward to it, knowing that the child of Mary, flesh of our flesh, carries that hope and that promise with him.

Rev’d Caroline

Our last Morning Prayer session of 2025 will be 9am on Christmas Eve. We’ll then take a break until the 7th January 2026. For this coming Saturday and the 24th, click the link below to join.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89129208277?pwd=dgARPNFJ8Amab2LFsrz9SkRdhjPFiY.1

Meeting ID: 891 2920 8277 Passcode: 968373