Introducing an Advent theme
Our ADVENTure has begun….
Has it?
What does Advent mean to you?
The other day whilst at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park – Bretton Hall – I saw a card designed by Rob Ryan.
In it two birds are overlooking a nest with unhatched eggs.
The caption reads: “Our Adventure is about to begin”
It conjured up for me all the expectation that new birth can bring. When the eggs hatch the adventure of new life for the new chicks will begin and what a difference this new birth will make to the parent birds too!
So what difference does the birth of Jesus mean to us?
As we prepare the way for Jesus to arrive, what will happen to us next as a result of his coming?
Will he – does he - make a difference to our lives?
In the Christmas Carol “O little town of Bethlehem” we have words about Jesus entering into to our lives :
O Holy child of Bethlehem
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin, and enter in;
be born in us today….
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel.
What we prepare for at Advent and celebrate at Christmas can be the beginning of a great adventure…
which we can be part of when we let Jesus abide with us
be born in us ..
and make a difference in our lives…
The word “adventure” in the dictionary means:
A remarkable incident
A chance (an opportunity)
An enterprise
An exciting experience ….
Will Advent be the beginning of a new adventure for you this year?
Will you take to heart all that Jesus offers and can do in your life?
It is a chance not to be missed – an enterprise well worth being part of.
My prayer is that Jesus will be born afresh in you – and as you make way for him – let him take charge – and you will be renewed by the experience.
Is an ADVENTure about to begin ?
……………….or has it already begun for you?….
Getting deeper into the Adventure by studying the Bible readings
“And this my prayer :
……….that you will be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus – to the glory and praise of God.” from Philippians 1:9-11
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Another of Rob Ryan’s creations has these words:
“Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.”
Some very positive words about our world you might think – as seen through the eyes (with rose tinted spectacles?) of a positive person seeing good in everything?
But is this statement true?
Is there no need for change ?
Is everything on earth alright?
Is there no injustice? No wrongs to right?
And if this were so then why did we just pray:
“Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.”?
Perhaps there is a little bit of truth in Rob Ryan’s words? The ingredients are there but they have not been put to good use by everyone and so the job is not complete?
The kingdom of God, the reign of God, has yet to come – to be completed.
But are things really in place to make it happen?
And if everything is alright – and there was no need for change – then why did God give Malachi these words of prophecy about John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus’ coming?
“See, I will send my messenger (John), who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant (Jesus), whom you desire, will come, says the LORD Almighty.”
And God goes on to say through Malachi 3:1-3 about how Jesus’ coming will change lives:
“ 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,
4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.”
A glimpse is given of Jesus’ ministry – and the part he will play in helping people to change inside out – be refined and purified so that the good deeds they do, their righteousness, will please God.
A glimpse is given of a kingdom where people’s actions will indicate the nature of their relationship with God, and show how much they have aligned themselves with God’s justice and goodness.
Here is a call to turn from sin – and which is repeated by John the Baptist:
“ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
A voice of one calling in the desert,'
Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.”
Later Jesus would begin his ministry with the same call to repentance:
“Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:14-15
Change your lives in response to this Good news, says Jesus, for the kingdom is near.
It is here. It has begun in Jesus - but it is not yet complete.
Hence we continue to pray :
“Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.”?
But it has begun – the adventure has begun!
And we can be part of it.
And as we pray the Lord’s prayer we can play our part in the adventure; be part of the enterprise;
part of making possible the coming of Gods’ will and purpose as God’s kingdom comes on earth as in heaven;
We can be part of proclaiming Jesus’ good news whilst “… being filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus – to the glory and praise of God.”
From Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Christians in the early church in the letter to the Philippians, we can learn and draw so much encouragement.
Today we can take Paul’s words to heart.
For when we accept Jesus fully into our lives, we can trust that God who began a good work in us through Jesus will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
By prayer and seeking after God’s truth in Jesus and by being willing to change and let God’s Spirit work in us, then it is my belief as in Paul’s conviction :
“…. that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ— to the glory and praise of God. “ Philippians 1:3-11
There is a reminder here too in Paul’s prayer that Jesus Christ will come again – “until the day of Christ”.
This is a theme of Advent – which is not just about the birth of Jesus but about the second coming of Christ – at the end when God’s kingdom will be completed.
See Revelation 21 for more on this:
“ 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
On Friday 27th November I was listening to the daily act of worship on the radio.
The worship leader spoke of his personal experience that since being diagnosed with cancer he had started looking forward instead of backwards. He wanted to make each day count.
Advent is about looking forward and making each day count.
It is about recognising that we can be part of an exciting experience, in partnership with Jesus our friend and saviour, of building God’s kingdom.
The work has begun, but there is still much to do.
How we live and grow in our relationship with God through Jesus, and how we help each other will bear fruit and play a part in encouraging others to join us - so that we, with them, may “be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus – to the glory and praise of God.”
May we all be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, when we meet Jesus face to face, when God’s kingdom is completed on earth as in heaven.
For we are his people and He is our God – and to Him be the glory. Amen
.