Thoughts for the Day

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night..... For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I love Advent, particularly if it starts with a glorious Advent Carol Service that looks ahead to Christmas, with prophecies by Micah, Isaiah, and Malachi ending with the words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary that she will be the mother of the "Son of God". For me an Advent service must stop at that moment, before the birth of our Lord.

Now I'm not silly about this, I also love all the special Christmas preparations, the buying of presents, the school nativity play, the decorating of the tree etc. But I really don't want to celebrate Christmas at the end of November, especially in church. Two weeks ago I overhead two women talking about getting their Christmas tree that week!

For me Advent is a penitential season, like Lent. In Anglican and Catholic Churches the priest wears a purple stole to represent this period. It's a time of reflection, of inward looking, of doing some spiritual house-keeping if you like. It's also a time of preparing for the arrival of God's Son - of looking at the Hebrew prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah, and also His Second Coming. So in our reading today Paul warns the Christians in Thessalonica to be ready for the coming of Christ - whenever that might be. We should not let ourselves be smothered in the glitz and glitter of a secular Christmas, but try to conserve the Advent themes, where possible!

Heavenly Father,
may this Advent be a special time
of preparation for ourselves
and for others within the Church.
Help us not forget those in need
and those for whom the thought
of Christmas is overwhelming them,
perhaps because of a lack of money,
or because of family members who have died.
May we do some real soul searching
so that we arrive at Christmas time
ready to rejoice at the birth of Your Son.
Amen.