Advent Ceremony and Prayer
Lord Jesus,
master of both the light and the darkness,
Send your Holy Spirit upon our Advent Journey.
WE who have so much to do,
seek quiet spaces to hear your voice.
We, who are anxious over many things
look forward to your coming among us.
We, who are blessed in so many ways,
long for your everlasting joy.
We whose hearts and heavy,
seek the joy of your presence and blessing.
We are your people, walking in darkness yet longing for, believing in
and seeking the light.
We light the second candle of hope today.
Amen.
Our Advent Journey
Last Sunday we began our Advent Journey with a joyous musical Servcie filled with beautiful voices, lovely music and profound readings. Everything to prepare us for the Advent journey. Everhting to keep us awake as we walk and wait.
You are invited on this Advent Journey with a special devotional guide. Beautiful colorful front and small poster you may color yourself.
The word on 1. Advent was: Keep awake. And we were kept awake by the beautiful music last Sunday – but it is also a reflection on the Gospel of Mark where the disciples eagerly ask Jesus when the end will be, when he will come again… they want to know the time and the hour.
In Marks Gospel the dispcles ask Jesus how they will know it is the end. Like the early Christians, it seems that we too are always hoping for a better tormoortow. Hoping for a time when wars will end. Hoping for a time when dictators will be toppled. Hoping for a time when no one will go hungry. Hoping for a time when God will indeed intervene – when Christ will come again and set the world right.
Jesus says to his pdisples: you have no idea when and how. But stay alert, keep watch and keep awake.
The devontional ask how we keep awak in this time? Simply by being faithful to the tasks God has given us to do: the task of kindness, mercy, jutice, faithfulness and love. When we ar faithful in these things, we will become more and more like Christ.
Part of the devotional is are reflection and questions to go deeper on this Advent journey.
So, ask yourself today: What are you looking for this season? How will you keep awake this Advent? And what specific task do you think God has given you to do while we wait?
Gospel: Matthew 3.1-12
3 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.”’
4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
Sermon: “Prepare! “
Our Advent Journey.
Please look at the Second chapter of the Advent Journey.
The word of today is Prepare!
The poster or illustration depicts John the Baptist whom we just heard about in the Gospel. This weird messenger in the wilderness; with wild hair, piercing eyes and a booming voice of repentance! Prepare, he said or shouted. Prepare yourself. Repent. Change your ways. Do better. Be better.
Read along in the devotional:
Many of us couldn’t imagine this season without some version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Whether it’s the old black and white film with Alastair Sim, the Muppet’s zany adaptation, or our local theatre’s perennial production, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Ebenezer Scrooge! No matter which production you prefer, there is always a lot of activity going on at the beginning as London town gets ready for the feast. Carolers are singing. Turkeys are being hung in the windows.
Shoppers are busy rushing from store to store. And charity workers are collecting alms for the poor.
In short, there’s a lot of preparation going on for the Christmas festivities. And, in the middle of all the preparations, there is old Ebenezer Scrooge, all alone, preparing only his financial ledgers and a lonely bowl of soup at the end of a cold day.
We all know the story by now: three spirits (preachers perhaps?) appear to Ebenezer throughout the evening. One by one, they urge him to re-order his life, to make space in his heart for grace, and to prepare for Christmas morning – the birthday of the One who came to re-order our world.
Just like old Marley promised Ebenezer that he would be visited by spirits, so the writer of Mark’s gospel reminds his readers that God is “sending (God’s) preacher ahead of you; He’ll make the road
smooth for you. Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God’s arrival!”
It’s tempting during this season of Advent to get caught up in all the preparations. After all, there are gifts to find, cards to send, and dinners to cook. In the middle of all this busyness, we might even find ourselves a bit like Ebenezer Scrooge, sitting at the end a long day crying out “Bah humbug” to it all.
But it is at just such a time that God sends those preachers into our life to remind us that God’s arrival is indeed just around the corner.
We hear from one of those spirits/preachers in the epistle for the Second Sunday of Advent. The writer asks, “Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life?”
Ebenezer Scrooge’s problem was that he thought everything he had – his money, his possessions, his business – were the things that brought meaning to his life. The preachers who came to him that evening reminded him that all of those things could be gone tomorrow. Sure, he had prepared all his earthly assets, but he had not prepared the inner sanctuary of his heart.
One of the carols often heard in productions of “A Christmas Carol” is George Handel’s Joy to the World. A paraphrase of Psalm 98, the first verse sings out, “Let every heart prepare him room.” And how should we prepare during these Advent days? The same way John the Baptist encouraged the crowds to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. By repenting; literally making a 180-degree turn.
By stopping dead in our tracks, like old Ebenezer, and re-evaluating the course of our life. And by being baptized.
Prepare!
Keep awake!
Maybe we should make these words our poster words on our Advent Journey?
To prepare not only our homes, our Christmas Lights and décor, our cookies and gifts, but also prepare our hearts to welcome Christ into our hearts and lives.
To keep awake and alert. To this time of ours, to where we are needed and called to be, to how we may be faithful here as we wait and walk.
As the going deeper questions poke to our Advent Spirits today and ask:
Who are the preachers/ spirits/ people in your life that encourage you to “prepare your heart” for God? What one thing could you do this Season to make your life more holy…. And touch somebody on the journey of Advent?
Prepare and keep awake.
Amen