Advent 17th December

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labour has borne a child Then the remainder of His brethren

Will return to the sons of Israel. And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God."  Micah 5:2-4

Readings

Isaiah 53:5, 

Micah 5:2-4,
John 1:10-11

Reflection

Have you ever watched Zeffirelli's film ‘Jesus of Nazareth’. One of the scenes shows the

magi, Balthasar, Caspar and Melchior waiting for Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the cave to present their gifts to Him. After travelling some distance to see with their own eyes the fulfilment of Micah 5:2-5, the prophecy they knew so well, Balthasar, overwhelmed by the Babe’s presence, says, "I did not know what I was going to find when I came… and coming here to a stable… at first, I thought my brothers were mistaken, but now I see the justice of it… there could be no other place." His fellow king Caspar nods, "Not in glory but in humility."  Bethlehem, little Bethlehem —certainly off the radar for the average person in those days and certainly, from man's perspective, not the hometown of a king.  No surprise to God. Firstly God ordains his Son to leave the heavenly realms to come to earth as a helpless babe. He selects Mary, a poor teen, to birth and mother this child, and Joseph, a poor carpenter, to be the father. God chooses, God ordains, God equips, God sustains. Back in the stable, caught up in the awe of the moment, Balthasar presents his gift of incense fit for a worldly king and appropriately says, "Accept these poor tokens of our homage." For there before his eyes, was the greatest gift!

Prayers 

Lord give me the faith, to recognise Christ as my
Saviour, my Lord and my Friend.
May this be the prayer, of my heart, my whole being, not just my lips. 

Thank you, that you offer healing of body, mind and spirit, through your victory on the cross, and that one day I will wholly praise, in heaven, for all
eternity. Amen

Advent 16th December

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. “In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called,  'The Lord our righteousness.' Jeremiah 23:5-6

Readings

Psalm  75,   

Jeremiah 23:5-6, 
Matthew 5:1-11

 

Reflection

 

Throughout history Israel had many number of kings - some were wicked alongside the kings of the surrounding areas. Others fell somewhere along the continuum of righteousness, with even the best missing the mark. Solomon, who received great wisdom from God and built a magnificent temple married foreign women who “turned away his heart after other gods” (I Kings 11:4). Or let us consider David, “a man after God’s own heart” , who fell into the sins of adultery and murder in the midst of his prosperous reign. If these, considered great amongst Israel’s kings, fell into sin, it’s clear that the stage is set for the need of a truly righteous king. This king, the righteous Branch prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer. 23:5-6), is Jesus, whose advent we celebrate. But He would be much more than a righteous King ruling a nation, though in a messy world we need a “righteous King .“ We need a  righteous king to help us  in our own world too—in our own unrighteousness.

How about you ?Do you long for a day when things will be different? What are these things and what can you do to make a difference? What reconciliation has to be made? What change? What respect? What hand of friendship? What difference for God? What wrong made right? What journey made?  For Christ to be Lord of all—we need his “kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven”.

Prayers 

Holy and Righteous God
I thank you that your word is no longer solely a commandment but a gift of love, incarnate in Christ.
I thank you for the gift of knowing you for  in you we  are transformed.
Continue to work in me O God I pray.

Amen 

Advent 15th December

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favourable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit offainting so they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1-3"

Readings

 

Psalm 121

Isaiah 61:1-3
Luke 4: 14-21

Reflection

When you read or listen to the passage of scripture read from Isaiah 61 what do you
think of or consider? Do you remember the account of Jesus reading from the scroll in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-26). Together we see a unity of God’s spoken word through prophets, apostles and Jesus Christ.

At a time of great suffering and affliction while in exile in Babylon, Isaiah proclaims to God’s people over 600 years before the birth of Christ that their Messiah would come to set them free and restore salvation to the Lord’s Chosen Ones. The Israelites, of course know all about slavery  having walked to freedom from the bondage of forced labour in an earlier age. They would know it again in their return from exile (history has  a tendency to repeat itself) and Jesus now takes us from our own slavery to our human weakness and failings and leads into the freedom of  new life and birth. Jesus reading the Old Testament passage proclaims: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Wow! Hallelujah!!

God’s long-promised Redeemer has finally come.

Prayers 

I worship you eternal and everlasting God; Alpha and Omega – the first and the last. 

For you are the source of all life. 

You set the world in motion  and you are beyond my understanding, more than I can ever imagine. 

Thank you for your love, the delicate wrapping in which you enfold me from beginning to end. 

I am not worthy yet I open my heart to receive your love.  

Amen

Advent 14th December

"Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,   And by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:1-5"

Readings

Isaiah 53:1-5, 
Luke 1: 46-56
Philippians 3:1-11

Reflection

 

It is impossible to truly celebrate Christmas if we do not have in mind the purpose of Christmas. If we just focus on the worldly trappings and the external pressures then our hearts will be empty. We celebrate His coming because of what He came to accomplish on our behalf. Though He left the throne room of the universe to come, He had no royal aura or characteristics by which we could recognize Him. He took on a humble body, in a humble town, within a humble (some would even say scandalous) family; He lived a humble life, and He died a humble (most would say scandalous) death. His death was grotesquely scandalous. The only perfect and truly righteous man ever to walk this earth died the death of a hardened and wicked criminal. In truth, this was the greatest crime of all time. Why this ugly, awful, and offensive death for the most beautiful, righteous, and loving of men? “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities.” And what He came to do, He accomplished. This is why we celebrate love beyond all telling! Saviour and King, we worship Thee.

 

Prayers

Lord, lighten our darkness.
Let the bright shafts of your love colour our lives.
Let us be transformed as the light of the morning star blazes in our hearts, that we may show your light in the dark places of this world.
Amen.