Advent 2018 (1st Sunday)
The Advent season has arrived again and that means it is a period of all change as it were in our services and in our liturgy.
For us here at St Barnabas, it represents even more change as even the theatre groups who use our space for rehearsals have changed over. The Wizard of Oz, along with his associated entourage have made their way to Blackpool, only to be replaced by ??
That is all good and it is all part of the wain which St Barnabas interacts and reaches out in the community in which it serves.
Back to the serious stuff for a moment or two. In terms of our readings, we change this year in our Lectionery from year B to C. What this means in reality is that over the course of the year, more of our Gospel readings which we hear week by week may be coming from Luke, with Matthew covering year A and Mark year B.
The more observant among you may have noticed that Fr Brian, our servers and I, are sporting a rather nice shade of purple this morning as opposed to the White for Christ the King last week. This because as the season changes in church, so too does the colour of our vestments.
Another addition is the Advent wreath, where each week, an additional candle is lit for the Patriarchs, Prophets, John the Baptist and Mary.
So much for the physical and tangible signs of the new church season. The meaning of this season runs much deeper than that. There are so many other ways in which this season of Advent is both so special and significant.
You may remember last week, when Fr Brian preached on the Feast of Christ the King, he mentioned that it was a time for us as a parish and as a community to look forward.
I want to pick up on that theme again this morning. The context may be slightly different, but the principle is exactky the same.
This most Holy season of Advent is also a season of looking forward of anticipation, of waiting for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I’m reminded here of the words of the famous Taize community chant “Wait for the Lord, his day is near”.
Perhaps even more appropriate for the Advent season are the words of the second line “Wait for the Lord. Keep watch, take heart”.
This season has associated with it, symbols of light and hope. The candles of the Advent wreath which I spoke about earlier symbolise new light, new life and new hope.
One of the things which always serves as a reminder to me that the celebration of our Lord’s birth gets nearer week by week involves the Advent Candles and wreath. Each week, we light an extra candle, which in tern brings more light (and it must be said, more warmth).
At his birth, one of the names by which Jesus is known is “The light that was coming into the world”, and the last candle, the white one symbolises our Lord Jesus Christ himself.
There are two other aspects of this season which as followers of Christ, we should be both aware of and act upon. This is a season of preparation and prayer.
This poses a fundamentally important question for me and I hope for all of us here this morning.
My question is this. In the apparent chaos of our busy lives, preparing for the coming season of celebration, how prepared are we to welcome our Lord. To put the question another way, what does this season of Advent mean to us?
Given that this is a season of anticipation ,our Gospel reading this morning from Luke gives us a very direct instruction. Towards the very end of the reading, we are told:
“Be alert at all times” How do we even begin to go about being alert at all times for an event as great as waiting upon and recalling again the coming of our Saviour. After all, that is what the word Advent actually means. The “coming” of or the “arrival” of.
If we can make meaningful use if the time, I believe there is a sense in which it can provide a time of calm before the storm of the busy Christmas season. It is a period which gives us an opportunity to take stock. A chance to gather our thoughts.
There are several ways I think in which we can make the season of Advent more meaningful. Each day, busy as we are, we could take a period of time to reflect, (even for just a few minutes).
We could spend that time to reflect upon the question I posed earlier. Exactly what does the recollection of the birth of our Lord mean to us. In reality. What difference does it make to our daily lives.
We could, if we make a real effort to make the time and the space in our day, spend some time in prayer. (Again, it need only take a few minutes).
So, as we enter this season of Advent, my hope and prayer for us and those we serve in this community is that it truly will be meaningful and holy.
I know it is difficult, given the busy lives we all lead, but I encourage you anyway to at least give it a try.
With everything else going on, we need to be careful that this most holy and important season of Advent does not simply pass us by. It is an important time for us in its own right and in its own way.
My hope is that we can, as we are encouraged and directed to do, all be alert at all times` May the Lord bless us in this season. If we are able to commit ourselves to a time of anticipation, reflection and prayer, then maybe just maybe, it will help us to experience the true joy and meaning of the coming Christmas season.
AMEN