2nd Advent (Faith)

​We are all familiar with the place of prophets in the Old Testament. They held positions of status
in royal courts, and in the temples.

​Light of the world,
This Advent season comes to us as an annual reminder that you are not a God of distance, of
high-heavens and of power,
Rather, you are a God of presence, of earthly-ordinariness and of poverty.
If you have a candle, find it and something to light it. Put it somewhere you can see it. If you do
not have a candle, use a lamp.
As you light the candle, or light the lamp, say these words:
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never put it out.
Sit in silence and notice the light and the shadows in the room.
When you are ready, offer this time of worship to God:
Jesus, you are the light of the world, the light of my life, I offer this time to you in worship and
prayer and praise.
Amen.

StF 530 to be in your presence

​StF 628 Faithful One

 Isaiah 40:1-11 New International Version Comfort for God’s People
​40 Comfort, comfort my people,
    says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
    that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
    and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
    Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 You who bring good news to Zion,
    go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
    lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
    say to the towns of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
    and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

StF 264 Make way!

​Mark 1:1-8 New International VersionJohn the Baptist Prepares the Way 
1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,2 as it  is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins,
they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt
around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one
more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize
you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit

Message
We are all familiar with the place of prophets in the Old Testament. They held positions of status
in royal courts, and in the temples.
In the book of Isaiah – we have the Lord directing Isaiah’s actions, and even what he will say to
the people.
On this occasion there are no harsh words – just word of comfort and tenderness.
However, in the wilderness Isaiah is to cry out, because the Lord is going to do something
amazing and personal. He will be like a shepherd to them.

Compare that with the New Testament – there are not many prophets in the gospels – Anna,
Simeon, and John.
In the urgency of Mark’s Gospel, we have the Messiah announced, and John the Baptizer doing
his thing in the wilderness. In other gospels, he is confused with the Prophets of old, with his
message of repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

And today? Who are the prophets in 2023?
I think we’re more likely to have consultants than prophets. They give us forecasts, risk
assessments, and the like.
We would not use the language of prophets (other than when talking about ‘prophets of doom’).
As a society we are suspicious of people speaking confidently about God and their relationship
with God.
People who say ‘God says’; ‘The word of the Lord came to me and told me …’, or ‘This is the
will of God …’.
Gone are the days when God’s messengers could speak out. Today, messengers come in
many forms – Vicars, priests, lay leaders, and ministers; World leaders, community
leaders/politicians; kings and queens, the poor and the ordinary.
These people no longer have the status they had.
They are no longer listened to by right – they must earn the right to be listened to. WHY?
Because today everyone has their own direct access/channel to God.
And so it should be.
The result is that anyone brave enough to stand up and be prophetic – speak out against
something or for something in the name of God, need to be prepared to have their message
challenged and tested.
Unfortunately, today, the message will not be tested on its community-building impact, but on
‘what’s in it for me?’

So, for some - the thought that God might want those of us who are working, and earning above
a certain amount to contribute more in tax so that more nurses or teachers can be trained and
employed - this can’t be the will of God, ‘because there is nothing directly in it for me’!!
Also, we’re not a single community anymore – with one community leader (like the communities
Jesus and John were born into).
The last time we saw anything like united communities was during the covid pandemic, when
we caught glimpses of communities sharing the same experiences and goals (unless, that is,
you worked at Downing Street).

For us as Christians of different traditions, we need to acknowledge that people are confused by
dis-unity, and don’t know what to believe.
No wonder Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers – that we all may be one – so that the
world might believe.

So, unlike John, who said it clear and plain, we are often reduced to a series of well-rehearsed,
well tried & tested platitudes, quotes and sayings that we can all agree on, in our attempt to
avoid upsetting anyone.
As a result, we agree ‘God is love’.
We agree that God’s will is that we live in peace?
We agree God’s will is that we repent and turn back to him and his ways?
But we can’t agree on how to work these things out in our daily lives.
Yet we can firmly believe that God’s will is that we drastically change the way we live (maybe by
adapting our structures and moving Justice issues further up our agendas?) in order that we set
an example for the rest of the community.
People are very selective about which prophetic voices they listen to. It has always been so.

But if we are restricted to the well tested platitudes, let them be words of thanks to God for his
faithfulness in and through them – his love, and his promises to love us and be generous to us,
(as we regularly do in the sharing of bread and wine).
I thank God for his promises fulfilled.
I thank God for the promises of Advent and Christmas – Emmanuel – God with us, in our
neighbourhoods, in his messengers, in our hearts, always. Amen.​

​255 STF – The kingdom of God is justice and joy -

Lords 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 for ever.
Amen

StF 157 God has spoken

Blessing
Go out and meet a God who is already out there,
Step forward and find a Christ who is already at work in your community,
Be bold and discover a Spirit who is willing to take risks.
As you prepare, may the Christ-child make himself known to you in the extraordinary
ordinariness of each day.
Amen.