Advent 2014 (1st Sunday)

The course of time and the Church calendar move relentlessly on. Today on this first Sunday in Advent, we mark the start of a new season. We could also call it a period of “All Change.”  Here are just a few examples of what I mean.

When it compiled Common Worship and the Revised Common Lectionary, the Church developed a three year cycle of readings, which it very imaginatively called Years A, B and C. Today, in terms of our liturgy, we change from Year A to Year B. This has other knock-on effects too.

What are known as the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke run in rotation over the three year cycle, with John’s Gospel being heard at regular intervals at particular times of year, particularly around festivals.

As from today, we are at the start of Year B, and over the course of the year, the Gospel of St Mark will be frequently heard in our readings, starting this morning.

What else changes at the start of this new season? You may have noticed that the colour of the hangings on this legillium and behind me on the pulpit have changed from white to purple. So have the colours of the vestments which I am modelling this morning. Not sure though that purple is quite my colour.

One extra element to our service this morning is the Advent Wreath.  I always find this a very good way to focus on what Advent really means for me.  The three purple candles represent the Patriarchs, the Prophets, and, when we get to him, John the Baptist.  The pink candle represents the Blessed Virgin Mary, then at Christmas we light the white candle representing Jesus Himself.

Christ is sometimes referred to as the Light of the World or the Light that is coming into the world. As the weeks of Advent go by, and as more of the candles on the wreath are lit each week, the light from the wreath becomes brighter each week. This serves to remind me that the time to recall the birth of our Lord draws nearer each week.

It’s just a little method that helps me focus in Advent.  Who knows, it may be helpful for you too, or you may have an even better method.

The hymns that we are singing this morning have a change of theme. They introduce a theme of anticipation and of longing. To give you just a couple of examples, this morning we have “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” and “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” or “God with us.”

This is of course a season of preparation, of sharing time with friends, work colleagues, family, even enjoying ourselves a little. We should remember though that in the time of the pre-Christmas rushing around to get everything ready, for us this season of Advent is also one of anticipation, reflection and of prayer.

It’s a time where, if we can, we need to find time amongst all of the busyness to step back, take stock and reflect upon exactly it is we are waiting for as we look towards Christmas.

Advent means the coming of or the arrival of something or, in this case, someone. We are reflecting on and waiting in anticipation to recall the birth of a child. The birth of any child is a big event at any time, but here we recall the birth of a child who is destined to affect and change the lives of so many (ourselves included).

Our reading today from the Epistle to the Corinthians provides another example of a people who wait in anticipation. We hear this:

“For in every way, you have been enriched in Him, in speech and knowledge of every kind. Just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ”

We too, as His disciples here on earth today, wait in this holy season of Advent for the arrival of, the coming of, the revealing of our Lord.

Jesus is the child who makes God known to us all by revealing something of God to us. He does it by His sharing of a human life with us here on earth. He does it through His ministry, through His teaching and by His example, all of which, if we are to truly be His disciples, we should try to follow.

One thing happening here at St Barnabas which will hopefully help us to focus on recalling the coming of our Lord is the Advent course.

We heard about it last week but just to remind you again, Katie will be running an Advent course here in church on Saturday mornings over the next few weeks to help us focus and reflect upon the coming events. It has in fact already started as the first one was yesterday.

With all of these different reminders and different opportunities set before us, my hope is that for us, this season of Advent may be truly holy. Part of our task over the coming days and weeks of this season, hard as it will be, is to make time and space in our hearts and minds.

We need to make time and space to welcome our Lord afresh in our lives. We need to open our hearts again to Him. 

We need to make time and space to listen for Him in our lives as He makes himself known afresh to us, to our local community here which we serve and perhaps even to the world.

Even in the busyness of the pre-Christmas preparations, may we find that wonderfully precious opportunity to reflect upon the true meaning of the birth of our Lord which we anticipate now and which we recall and celebrate at Christmas. We are all individuals and the answer to that question will be different for all of us. There is no right or wrong answer, each is as valid as the other.

May this be a truly holy season for us and for this community in which we live and which we serve, and may it make the coming Christmas season all the more real and meaningful for each one of us.

It’s worth reflecting just once more on that great message telling us about the coming arrival of our Lord.

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name “Immanuel” – God with us.”

AMEN