Wednesday 4 December - The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night

Readings:

Jeremiah 30:18-24, Amos 5:18, Mark 13:32-37

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety’, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.  1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

Reflection

Are we nearly there yet! Is it almost time? How many more sleeps? It isn’t just impatient children restrained in the back seat of cars with copious amounts of  sweets and a DVD playing who seek an end  to their journey. The end is of course ambiguous—simply labelling a conclusion, but it is used to signify the end, a goal and a purpose. We all seek an end to something. Pain, frustration, waiting. What do you  long for an end to?

In both the Old and New Testament the pious hoped for the coming of the “day of the Lord” and the deliverance that only God could and would bring. That freedom they longed for—the prophets foretold and also warned Israel to be careful what they hoped for. This promised  “last thing” was to be also a time of judgement on God’s enemies. Amos 5:18 reminding us of days of ‘darkness not light’ for whilst its precise timing is not known, except by the Father (Mark 13:32) ,  it will be daunting and unexpected and it will bring light and hope.

Be prepared, be on your guard for the time will come—that we do know.

Prayer

Lord God I praise you for creating me and restoring me through Jesus.
Word becoming flesh, Word indwelling
Word transforming, Word restoring
Word challenging, Word healing
Word sharing  my weakness and making me whole

Word here now—O Come Emmanuel. Amen

Tuesday 3 December - An ever present help in trouble

Readings:

Psalm 46, Isaiah 26:1-6, Matthew 7:21,24-27, Romans 15:4-13

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall^; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us;  the God of Jacob is our fortress

Isaiah 26:1-7

Reflection

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." --Victor Hugo

Advent is about waiting. In a sense, it is a four-week course on patience. That's a good thing, in that patience means having endurance under difficult circumstances. And, if being patient is about persevering in the face of delay, well, who wouldn't be in favour of that and want it? Even more importantly, patience often means having the capacity -- when provoked -- not to act simply out of annoyance or anger, but to  act out of
compassion.

Now, perhaps we are more students than practitioners of patience, constantly learning and honing our skills. Perhaps we know a lot about patience - we live it and see it in others. With patience, we exhibit forbearance under strain, especially when challenging difficulties end up becoming longer-term and we become desperate. In our constant waiting and longing may we know Christ who will come as Saviour and Redeemer. 

Prayer

Come thou long expected Jesus into the parts of my life hidden to others.
Come into the barren and hurting places. Come into the dry places that need refreshing by the outpouring of your love.
When I lack love and compassion, change me.
When I am impatient and frustrated, deliver me.
When I fail to see the goodness, help me to focus on you, the author and perfector of my faith.  Amen

Monday 2 December - Be Patient then and stand firm

Readings 

Psalm 130, Isaiah 35:1-10, Matthew 12:15-21, James 5:7-10 

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 

James 5:7-10

Reflection 

Hope is the thing with feathers,

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops—at all.  (Emily Dickinson , 1934)

This definition of hope captures what many  of us have difficulty defining. Hope is not blind optimism, nor arrogant certainty or wishful thinking .  Hope is the knowledge that in spite of all the difficulties we face in this world God would not desert us. Hope gives strength to seek peace, demand justice and to envision  the world as God intended it to be.

Hope is knowing that God stepped in and continues to do so through you and me in the power of the Holy Spirit; even this day hope is in you.

Prayer

Comforting God,

I pray for all experiencing darkness and we pray that your light may shine on their pathway and in their hearts, that they may know that even in difficult times you walk alongside them.

For those who  struggle finding hope this day, may hope find them.

Amen

 

Sunday 1 December - Advent 1—HOPE

Readings

Psalm 146:5-10, Isaiah 2:1-5, Matthew 24:36-44 Romans 13:11-14

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways,  so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into  ploughshares  and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will  not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more  Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.  Isaiah 2:2-5 

Reflection

What do you hope for? This is a big question at a time of year when hopes arecentred around material possessions.

In the hoping, there is God.  In the longing, there is God.  In the hurt, there is God. In the unfulfilled promise of the year, there is God. In the people we miss, there is God.

Could Isaiah actually have some idea that God would not only dwell with His people, but that all the nations of the world would come and yield their weapons of war to Him in surrender? It doesn’t stop there either. What happens to the weapons of war? They are redeemed into tools for ploughing and cultivating. What was once used for violence will now be taken and used to encourage growth and health and maturity with visions of loving relationships. Instead of fighting, the nations will now be seeking to tend to and lovingly care for all of God’s creation in order to honour Him and bring great glory to His Name. So friends,  let us not be afraid to plough and to plant, for we shall reap in joy!  O come all you faithful, come to rejoice and adore, come and know God.

Prayer

Source of all that is light and life, truth and peace,
I have hope because your steadfast love never ceases
and your mercies never end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.
I remember those torn apart by fear, hatred, abuse, bitterness and scars of the past. May that same peace and  hope bring justice, comfort and freedom. Amen

Advent 2013 - Introduction

Advent Reflections

Advent is a time that we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, but we also focus on preparing ourselves and the world around us for His return.  Think about it:  If you’re hosting a Christmas celebration, you go to great pains to clean the house so it’s presentable, decorate everything just right, prepare your best foods, all to present to your honoured invited guests.  Advent spirituality is much the same.  It’s a time of preparation.  So, how do we apply this notion of Advent to our lives? By doing good.  Galatians 6:9-10 reads “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  John Wesley defined the principle as…

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”

Perhaps all too often we as Christians are defined by the things we do not do rather than what we strive to do—for example “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Our advent preparations, our advent waiting  can be active.  Henri Nouwen suggests: “How do we wait for God?  We wait with patience.  But patience does not mean passivity.   Waiting patiently is not like waiting for the bus to come, the rain to stop, or the sun to rise.  It is an active waiting in which we live the present moment to the full in order to find there the signs of the One we are waiting for.  This advent as we work through these  reflections may we show others what Jesus means to us.  May we reveal to others the love of God in tangible ways, the hope we have found in Christ by praying for and with others and doing all the good we can.

Perhaps we may be the answer to the prayer we pray for another  - the hope for another, the joy and the comfort for another.

May the God of hope and the God of all people be with you this season and always.

Rev Jackie Bellfield