Christmas DayHebrews 1: 1-4 John 1: 1-14Christmas is observed in many different ways up and down the land. Much depends upon circumstances almost as much as tradition. The great day arrives with an atmosphere of expectation. Presents, may be scattered beneath a traditional tree or just neatly stacked up in piles, one for each person. The excitement is enhanced by just looking at what is in each pile. Guesses are made as to what may be in each parcel.In some houses a token present may have been opened already whilst the remainder are opened after church and maybe even after lunch. That feeling of excitement accompanies you to church. There you hear again the Christmas story about the birth of the baby Jesus in the manger. An event which shaped the world.Now, two thousand years later we still rejoice in this birth. What is it that grips us so firmly? Is it the carols we sing. Carols that we soon learnt as we trod the streets singing carols from door to door. Until, that is, the advent of double glazing. Now the first an occupant knows of your singing is when you knock the door hoping for some gratuity for your efforts. Or is it the coming together of the family from all parts to share in a Christmas feast? Whatever the reason we still observe Christmas.Christmas is so special because it is the time that the Saviour of the word was born. To a lowly family the Christ child entered the world. He grew to adulthood learning the aches and pains that we all learn as we develop. From falling over and grazing his knee to learning social skills these were all lessons that he would learn, or so we can only guess.Together with the shepherds we kneel before him in thanksgiving and prayer just as the shepherds. They witnessed his birth which we remember this day. From the hills they came to the stable to see this special event. People who earned their living through hard physical work left all that behind to gather at the foot of the manger.Next in the Christmas story we learn of the visit of the Magi. They came with their riches and status also to visit the Christ child. Right at the start of his life he mixed with people of all social class. He was to be the Saviour of the world, not just to the hard working people striving to earn a living through their own hard work, but to all people right up to the ruling leaders. His influence reached out to all people regardless. And so, today, we gather in celebration. From the youngest among us to the eldest. From those who are at the start of their life to those who are here with a life time of experience behind them, we are here in celebration.The Christ child is born. He is the Son of God. He came that we should believe in him, learn his love, and turn to God through him. In accepting him into our lives our sins are forgiven. O come, all ye faithful, Christ is born. Hark, the herald angels sing. Peace on earth. Today that has to be our prayer. Peace on earth to all mankind.A very Merry Christmas to you from Gill and myself.Collect for Christmas DayAlmighty God,you have given us your only-begotten Sonto take our nature upon himand as at this time to be born of a pure virgin:grant that we, who have been born againand made your children by adoption and grace,may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
Fourth Sunday of AdventHebrews 10: 5-10 Luke 1: 39-45The race towards Christmas is nearly over. Yet it is strange to think of it as a race. We are in a Repentance is the fact of showing that you are very sorry for something bad you have done in the past, and wish that you had not done it. season of preparation and when you are preparing for something it may be usual to take things a little easy at the start. It is when you arrive at very little time remaining that the pace speeds up. You start dashing around trying to ensure all of the last minute jobs have been completed.The season of Advent does have an element of this kind of preparation. Have all of the presents been bought, the cards written and posted, the food for the Christmas dinner bought (will the turkey fit in the oven?). But Advent does have more to it that these things.Through Advent we have had the phrase, “Repent, make way for the Lord” ringing in our ears. Have we had the time for this repentance? Just what does it mean? Repentance does mean saying sorry but in what form should it take?To repent means that you are very sorry for something bad that you had done in the past and that you are showing how much you regret what you had done. But more than that. Repentance also means that you wish that you had not done whatever it was that you had done.‘Turn away from sin’, is a phrase often heard and quoted. It is a part of the action of repentance. To say ‘sorry’ alone is not quite going the whole way. A little more is required of us. We have to turn away from our sinful way. In some ways it goes back to the times of ancient Rome when a soldier who wished to show they were sorry would turn round and walk away. This is what we are doing when we are repenting. We are acknowledging our error and turning away from doing it again.When we are saying sorry to a neighbour or friend a short snappy ‘sorry’ is often not sincerely meant. It certainly is not accepted as a true expression of regret. Also, once said (with fingers crossed behind ones back trying to protect you from an insincere confrontation) the wrong has not been righted.Repentance in Advent is concerned with our position with God. God knows all about us. He knows when we are contrite, he knows if we are like the Roman soldier who just turns his back to demonstrate his sorrow. He certainly is aware if we have our fingers crossed. In Advent we come before God to cleanse our souls from all of our wrong doings. We purge ourselves before him. We also show contrition and a determination to leave behind our sinful past, to turn away.This is the real meaning of Advent. We are awaiting the coming of our Lord. We are making ready the path before him. As we would for any important guest, we make sure that everything is done in preparation for their arrival. We prepare ourselves. We make ourselves ready and acceptable to him. We do not want to leave it until it is too late.Collect for the Fourth Sunday of AdventGod our redeemer,who prepared the Blessed Virgin Maryto be the mother of your Son:grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour,so we may be ready to greet himwhen he comes again as our judge;who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
Third Sunday of AdventPhilippians 4.4–7 Luke 3.7–18We continue the race towards Christmas. Race because we aim to reach the goal passing the hurdles that lie between us and the finish.John the Baptist had just come out of his time spent in the wilderness. He was proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. People from around the district were coming to him to confess their sins and to be baptised by him. But, some Pharisees and Sadducees came to him. He addressed them asking why had they come to him. He called them a ‘Brood of Vipers’, and accused them of fleeing from the wrath to come. The reference to vipers goes back to the story of Creation and the tempting of Adam by Eve at the goading of the viper there. He is alluding to them as descendants of the viper in the Creation story,The call to repent was a very personal one. It was a symbolic rite that one had to undergo to become Jewish. If the Jews were not willing to repent then they could not claim to be really Jews, they could not count on the personal blessing that God had made to his chosen people. No longer could they call upon their ancestors. The change that they were being called to make must come from their heart,The time was coming when the axe would be laid at the root of the trees which were bearing bad fruit or none at all. They had had their day. The trees had to be judged. The space that they took was valuable. There were trees that bore good fruit. The wasted space could better be used to plant more good fruiting trees. Why should badness stand in the way of goodness.Our journey through Advent is a journey of repentance. The goal is the coming of God’s Son and we will reach this goal by confessing our sins and turning to Christ. No longer do we squander our possessions. We are told that if we have two coats for instance, it is good to share one with someone who has nothing. Stores of food are another example. About us we see food banks which aim to provide food for those whom have to manage their income between food to eat and money to heat the house, for instance. A balance between eating and keeping warm. It can be a fine balancing act of life to be able to keep track of all expenditure, to be able to provide for the very basics of life. Here is where the food banks give opportunity for those with plenty to help others.It is also teaching us about how we lead our life. At the moment it is a very emotional subject as many people may find themselves facing severe tax demands, or taxation on goods and services, all of which may cause a re-think of their finances and living goals.Tax collectors were mentioned in the gospel and so too were Sadducees. They were told to use no more threatening behaviour, but to be satisfied with what they justly earn. In today’s world the same could be said towards our way of life. We earn wages, but those wages do need to be kept in line with today’s developments. Modest demands are acceptable, but excessive demands risk taking us down a similar path to that which the soldiers of Christ’s day were in danger of taking.The teaching is all about repentance in the first instance, and the love of our neighbour in the next. If we see our neighbour struggling, then it is our Christian duty to step forward and offer assistance where we can. Using the Biblical example, if we are nice and warm in our coat, and if we have a wardrobe full of them, then to take one and hand it over to someone whose coat is threadbare is neighbourly, and also Christian. Our love of God guides us through life. Our eyes are opened to see God’s love all around us.Bu it also allows us to see where others have taken this law and twisted it to their own benefit at a cost to others. Here we can step in by giving to charities, to food banks, by giving time to voluntary organisations. This is where our love of God joins with our love of our neighbour. Together we are all God’s children and so it is only natural that we look after, care for, each other.Here is what John the Baptist was teaching. The call for repentance was also a call to re-awaken our life. To be aware of the world around us. John was trying to prepare the way for one ‘who would come after’. By heeding his teaching and by his baptism the Jews would become ‘really Jews’. By us following that teaching we will be obeying the Two Great Commandments and be closer to God. Our path through Advent will progress, leading us to the coming of Jesus at Christmas.Collect for Third Sunday of AdventO Lord Jesus Christ,who at your first coming sent your messengerto prepare your way before you:grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteriesmay likewise so prepare and make ready your wayby turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,that at your second coming to judge the worldwe may be found an acceptable people in your sight;for you are alive and reign with the Fatherin the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
Second Sunday of AdventBaruch 5 or Malachi 3: 1-4 Luke 3: 1-6We are now well into the season of Advent for another year. How is it being observed? Looking around we see many pointers all reminding us of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. In the commercial world shops and stores have been full of Christmas promotions. For some months now we have been tempted to buy Christmas goods, ornaments, lights, the list goes on. The aim is to sell goods and to raise profits and income. Coming closer to home we just need to venture out in the evening to see how the sales have progressed. Some of the gardens of houses are crammed full of Christmas decorations all lit up, some of them moving. The Advent observance often spills out to continue to twelfth night. In all of these observances it could be argued that they are “Preparing the way of the Lord, making his paths straight.” In putting all of the decorations out and lighting them up they are helping others to realise that the day is coming. The time for their atonement is approaching. The meaning of Advent is reinforced.In addition the Advent observance can include the Posada. Here Mary and Joseph are paraded from house to house, looking for a place to stay, as it were, for the birth of Jesus. Each household hosts the holy family for one night before they are passed on to the next home. The meaning of Advent is being acted out in a very real way as the family move from place to place looking for a room to settle.Advent, then, is a time for preparation. We prepare our homes for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. In some homes the decorations do not make an appearance before Christmas Eve. In others they are there almost the whole year round. The key word has to be preparation. We are making our homes ready. It is good too if, at the same time, we are making ourselves ready.Spend a few moments of time reflecting on the past week or month. Have you always put the way of the Lord first? Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbour. These are the two laws that govern everything else. If we can look back and see occasions where we may have slipped up in our observance then we need to seek atonement for our misdeeds. In cleansing our soul, we are making ourselves ready to receive the Lord. By this we make the way straight. When the Lord comes he will not need to clear away the debris of our misdemeanours. The way to our heart will be open waiting for him to enter.Advent is not just a day in the calendar or a period of a few weeks when the world seems to go crazy. Advent is a time of preparation. An opportunity for us to cleanse our souls. The lights that we see around us help to remind us of what is to come. In the gardens we see figurines and animals, and we also see boxes, all brightly coloured, to make us feel excitement as we return home to find any addressed to us under the tree waiting for us to open them. It is this excitement that we all feel on Christmas Day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the greatest gift that could even be given to us.Collect for the Second Sunday of AdventO Lord, raise up, we pray, your powerand come among us,and with great might succour us;that whereas, through our sins and wickednesswe are grievously hinderedin running the race that is set before us,your bountiful grace and mercymay speedily help and deliver us;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,be honour and glory, now and for ever.
