As is usual for this time of year, the Lectionary begins with our hope in Christ, the coming of God’s reign in Christ, and the challenge for us to live from this hope, remembering God’s comings in the past, recognising God’s comings now, and awaiting God’s comings into our future. Just this one day, if embraced mindfully and wholeheartedly, can change us forever.

This week, let’s celebrate and open ourselves to the power of God’s gift of hope in Christ.

READINGS:
Isaiah 2:1-5: A prophecy of the days when all people will seek to learn God’s ways, and God will teach them justice and peace; and an invitation to walk in God’s light.

Psalm 122: A song of celebration for Jerusalem, the place of worship, the place where God’s people are taught and led by God, and a place for which the Psalmist prays prosperity and peace.

Romans 13:11-14: Believing in the soon coming of God’s day of salvation, Paul encourages the believers to live lives of morality, peace and modesty.

Matthew 24:36-44: Because we do not know the day or time when Christ will come, Jesus encourages the believers to be ready at all times.


REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The first Sunday of Advent always leads us to reflect on Christ’s Second Coming, which is both problematic and exciting. The problem lies in how we deal with the issue of the Second Coming – especially with the ongoing tendency to try and predict times and dates, with the recent obsession with the Mayan calendar and 2012, and with the possibility that it creates a “pie-in-the-sky” theology for our people. The readings offer us another possibility, though – and this is where the excitement lies. In every reading, the promise of Christ’s coming is related back to how we live now – which is as it should be. Isaiah and Paul both invite us into a life lived in God’s light – a life of peace, justice and morality. The Psalmist encourages us to pray for peace, and to continue to gather for worship where God’s presence and ‘judgment’ are encountered. Finally , Jesus, encourages us to live in ‘readiness’ – always aware that Christ’s coming is immanent, and avoiding the temptation (unlike those in Noah’s day) of growing absorbed in self-interest and personal pleasure (what Paul refers to as ‘wild parties’).

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: At it’s heart, this week in the Lectionary is about hope, and living up to a higher standard. If this world is all we have, we can “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die”. But, if we truly have hope in Christ, in the coming of life, and of the day when God’s reign is the norm, not the exception in our world, we must live according to this hope now. We live as people who believe enough in God’s coming reign that we will begin to practice it’s values and principles now. This means we commit ourselves to integrity, justice and peace, and invite others into this way of life – embracing Isaiah’s image of the nations streaming to God’s mountain.This means we cannot accept things as they are just because “it’s just the way it is”. Rather, we commit ourselves to working to create the world of which we dream. This means we live in peace, so far as we can, with all people. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics and morality. We embrace a life of gentle modesty, not in the unfortunately limited sense in which that word is usually used – of dressing to cover up our bodies out of a fear of our sexuality – but in the sense that we reject ostentatious displays of wealth, wild and excessive self-pleasuring events and exercises, and over the top attention-seeking ploys. Rather we seek to demonstrate the kind of life that enriches the world and all creatures who live in it.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In too many ways the life of Christians and their churches simply reflects the values and beliefs of the societies around us. To look at us you wouldn’t know that we wait for a different world, and hold out the hope of peace and justice. If we really lived our faith in the coming of Christ, we would seek to express hope in all our interactions, we would invite others into a hope-filled way of living, and we would live the kind of life that demonstrates what we believe the world will one day be. This means we must embrace a life of simple, daily justice – reducing our personal carbon footprints through modesty and simplicity; bringing peace through the practices of forgiveness, negotiation and listening; seeking justice through serving those in need and challenging injustice wherever we find it in our communities. In addition we need to develop the habit of readiness – looking for every coming of Christ into our lives and world, and noticing and proclaiming the presence of Christ whenever we can. If we can do this, we become the fulfilment of the prophecies in this week’s readings. In what way can you seek to be a quiet, but prophetic community through this Advent season?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
An Incredible Hope
Quietly Prophetic
Your Coming

Hymn Suggestions:
There’s A Light Upon The Mountain
Sing We The King Who Is Coming To Reign
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
At The Name Of Jesus
There’s A Light (Upon The Mountains): Chord Chart; Mp3 Download
Hear Our Praises (Link to YouTube video)
Hosanna (Link to YouTube video)
Prepare The Way (Link to MySpace video – it’s not the greatest video, but it will give you a sense of the song)

Liturgy:
A Foretaste Of The Heavenly Banquet

Video Suggestions:
The Prophet’s Candle – Hope
Christ Is Coming

May our worship lead us into God’s Shalom and transforms us into agents of Shalom in every moment, every situation and every interaction.

READINGS:
Isaiah 11:1-10: Isaiah proclaims the coming of the “shoot from the stump of Jesse” who, through God’s Spirit resting on him, will bring peace, justice, righteousness and equity to the earth.

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19: A prayer for the King to rule wisely and justly, protecting the weak and vulnerable and refreshing the world and the godly who live in it.

Romans 15:4-13: Paul’s prayer that God may empower the Church to live in harmony, since Christ came for both Jew and Gentile, and together they form one  voice of praise to God.

Matthew 3:1-12: John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness, baptising those who repent and speaking out against the corrupt religious leaders, and challenging people to prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
From the dream of the future world where God’s reign is actively and visibly manifest, the lectionary now moves to the promise of the Messiah, and the harmony and justice he will bring. Both dreams are essentially one – that God’s reign will take root among us bringing in a world in which the weak and vulnerable are cared for, in which justice prevails and in which all people live in harmony in spite of (or maybe even because of) their differences. Perhaps the word that best sums up the Messianic dream of this week, and which John proclaimed, is the word “shalom” – well-being, peace, salvation, harmony, goodness, justice are all implied in this word. Isaiah proclaims it in the image of predators living in harmony with their prey. The Psalmist uses the word ‘Shalom’ in describing the peaceful refreshed world for which he prays. Paul pictures Jew and Gentile as one celebratory voice offered to God in worship, and John the Baptist, while speaking of judgement, which may seem to be the opposite of shalom, invites people to be ready for the coming of the Messiah who wil immerse people in God’s Holy Spirit. God’s presence and power available to all, irrespective of title, position or background – this is, perhaps the ultimate Shalom!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The dream of Shalom may seem like a fantasy in a world at war, a world in which so many issues divide us so strongly – “pro-life” or “pro-choice”, “liberal” or “conservative”, “creationist” or “evolutionist”, “capitalist” or “sociaist”, “pro-gay” or “anti-gay”, “rich” or “poor”. It’s tempting to define the world in clear terms like this, but when we do so, all we do is deepen the enmity between us, and keep us all from knowing and living God’s Shalom. Ultimately justice is not something that can be achieved by alienation and by taking sides. While there are real evils in the world that must be resisted, it is wise to remember Paul’s words that it’s not the people we fight so much as the “principalities and powers”, and as we embrace a Shalom way of being – which includes loving even those we consider to be our enemies – we reflect the light of God’s grace and love, and we begin to bring God’s Shalom into our world as a lived reality. In what ways can you opt out of the polarising habits of your society and embrace a Shalom-bringing inclusiveness that welcomes all and that seeks and celebrates common ground wherever it may be found?

LOCAL APPLICATION: In so many ways we attempt to create Shalom for ourselves. Unfortunately, though, our attempts are often the exact opposite of what God shows us is the real route to Shalom. We think we can find security by preemptive attacks on our enemies, and then we find ourselves more at risk. We think we can find peace by excluding those who challenge and disagree with us, only to find our safe community growing smaller and smaller, until we only have ourselves to agree with (and even that fails sometimes!). We think we can find joy and abundance by amassing money and stuff, only to discover scarcity growing around us, and our planet dying, and the reality of losing it all robs us of any joy we might have known. We think we can find love by turning inward and making our own needs, potential and purpose more important than relationships, or the service of others – even those closest to us – only to find that our self-absorption leaves us alone and empty. We think we can find God by ignoring the realities of our world and escaping to an other-worldly faith, while waiting for a heavenly bliss after death, only to discover that our souls remain dissatisfied and God feels distant and unattainable. If we are to know Shalom, we need to change how we do things. We must allow ourselves to be driven to the risky acts of listening, dialogue, hospitality, service, justice and compassion. Then, as we give ourselves to create shalom not just for ourselves but for others, we discover that shalom finds us, and God’s reign is truly within us.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Shalom
Preparing The Way

Hymn Suggestions:
Hail To The Lord’s Anointed
O Come, O Come, Immanuel
See How Great A Flame Aspires
I Cannot Tell Why He Whom Angels Worship
Everyone Belongs: Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon.com Mp3 Store)
Jesus Messiah (Link to YouTube video)
Mighty To Save (Link to YouTube video)
Consuming Fire (Link to YouTube video)
God With Us (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Agape

Video Suggestions:
Child Of Hope
A Voice In The Wilderness
Kumi, Ori Sar Shalom

Image Suggestion:
Wilderness

Let’s fill our sanctuaries and our world with singing and celebration this week, and let’s rediscover the healing power of joy as we wait on the joyous incarnation event.

READINGS:
Isaiah 35:1-10: God’s promise to restore God’s people, creating a land of peace and prosperity for them, and providing a safe and sure way for them to return home, guaranteeing their arrival in God’s Zion where they will find gladness, joy and an end to their suffering.

Psalm 146:5-10: A celebration of the God who helps those in need – the poor, the blind, the prisoner, the bent over, the widow, the orphan – and who trips the wicked up.
OR
Luke 1:46b-55: Mary’s song of praise to the God who has chosen her, even though she is lowly, and who helps and sustains the weak and needy, while opposing and bringing down the rich and powerful.

James 5:7-10: James encourages the believers to be patient as they wait for God’s coming, even as the farmer waits for rain, and as the prophets of old faithfully endured their suffering with patience.

Matthew 11:2-11: John the Baptist sends his disciples to question whether Jesus is the One or if he should wait for another, and Jesus assures him with the example of his ministry of liberation, healing and proclaiming the Good News. Then he teaches about John’s role, explaining that, as great as he was, those who embrace God’s reign are greater still.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The invitation to find fullness of life in the commonwealth of God resonates through all of this week’s readings. God’s grace and love covers and protects those who seek God’s reign, and God guides them – provides a ‘way’ for their journey – bringing them joy and gladness as they enter God’s home. The journey, though, is not easy, even though it is protected. It is a journey requiring patience (James), and in which the poor, the needy, the vulnerable and the weak are to be served and protected – for these are the marks of God’s reign, both in those God ‘chooses’ (like Mary) and in the Messiah God’s people seek to follow (as in Matthew’s Gospel). Ultimately, though, those who endure and stay on the path will find an end to their suffering (and that of those they have served) and eternal joy. What an awesome vision!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: What does the word “Joy” mean in a world of suffering, inequity, war and terrorism, and climate change? In what ways can God’s reign be seen as an invitation to joy for the weak and vulnerable of our world. Sometimes joy is seen only as a distant hope awaiting us after death, and historically this joy has been inspiring and sustaining for the exploited and poor. However, sometimes this promise of joy has also been used to excuse injustice in this world. Joy must be embraced, then, as both a goal for us to work for – the quest for ‘a home’ for all people, and for peace and equity to flood our world -  and a characteristic of those who do this Christ-following work. God’s reign is seen in the way God’s people find joy in whatever circumstances they face, and it is seen as they spread joy around them through healing, uplifting, and proclaiming Good News. Our call then is to be cheerful, but firm, activists, identifying the places in our world where joy is being robbed, and challenging the unjust “killjoys” in our society, while joyfully serving those who mourn and grieve. This is the call of Jesus’ example, of Mary’s song, of Isaiah’s promise and the Psalmist’s celebration. It is also the source of patience and hope as we wait for God’s reign to be fully realised, both in this world and the next.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Where are the places of greatest grief and hopelessness in your community? What are the sources of this pain, and in what way do we, perhaps inadvertently, contribute? In what ways have you allowed a future hope to “let you off the hook” of bringing joy to those in need? As we wait, in Advent, for the coming of the One who brings joy and Good News, how can we allow this hope to inspire us and empower us to Gospel action? It may mean simply addressing areas of complacency and neglect in your community – cleaning up rubbish dumps and fixing broken windows wherever you may find them. It may mean refusing to buy into the suspicion and scepticism of the times, and committing to hope and compassion. It may mean speaking out against the politics and religion of fear and slander that so easily become the loudest voices in our world. In small ways we can become those who make this world ‘homely’ even for the most vulnerable, and we can speak prophetically against any power that would seek to control through fear, grief and corruption. In the way we live, speak and interact we can be “counter-cultural” demonstrating that joy can be known in this world without oppressing, bombing or ignoring others, and without buying into rampant consumerism and “achieveism”.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Magnificat
Seeing Glory
Joy To The World

Hymn Suggestions:
Joy To The World
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Blessed Assurance
Blessed Be Your Name (Link to YouTube video)
Give Thanks (Link to YouTube video)
Sing Sing Sing (Link to YouTube video)
You Are: Chord Chart; Free Mp3 Download

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Eucharist

Video Suggestions:
Advent: Joy
Joy
Joy

May our worship overflow with proclamation and experience of God’s ever-present love this week.

READINGS:
Isaiah 7:10-16: God promises a sign for King Ahaz, who is looking to Assyria for assistance with the threats of neighbouring Damascus and Samaria, that a virgin will give birth and call the child “Immanuel”, and that the enemy nations will be desolate before the child knows good from evil.

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19: A prayer for God to forgive and restore God’s people, and to send and empower the One God raises up to keep God’s people from turning away from God.

Romans 1:1-7: Paul celebrates Christ who is of both human and divine descent and who has called the apostles – and all of God’s people – to belong to Jesus and to spread the Good News.

Matthew 1:18-25: Mary discovers herself to be pregnant while betrothed to Joseph, but Joseph is informed in a dream that the Child is of God, and must be named Jesus. These events are proclaimed to be the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the virgin who conceives and gives birth to Immanuel.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The final Advent week before the Christmas celebration turns our attention to the significance of the name given in Isaiah’s prophecy, and ascribed to Jesus by Matthew – Immanuel. The idea that God is with us may seem commonplace to us now, since we’ve heard it so many times, but for the ancient hearers of the Gospel, it must have sounded radical, or even scandalous. Yet, it reflects the intense longing within God for intimate union with humanity. It is a testament to God’s unfailing, unconditional love, and is reinforced by all the readings this week. Isaiah speaks a prophecy which offers a sign of God’s care and willingness to protect God’s people to a king who has largely ignored God’s law. The Psalm offers a prayer in faith and expectation that God cares for God’s people and will send one who will lead and deliver them. Paul celebrates the Good News of God’s kindness and the belonging we find in God through Christ. And, in a rather moving narrative, Matthew describes Joseph’s love and care for Mary, which becomes something of a metaphor (whether intentional or not on Matthew’s part) for the love of the God who is about to step physically into human affairs and experience.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: On the scale of global issues, love may seem to be completely irrelevant. When governments negotiate, when corporations strategise, when soldiers march, or when the weak and poor struggle to survive, what place is there for love? Yet, God must know something about love that we don’t since love is the only command we have been given as followers of Christ. In truth, if love was the driving force behind our voting, our business dealings and our consumption, our dealings with friend and enemy, and our awareness and care of the most vulnerable, the world would be a far more whole place. How could a policy of love actually work out practically in the world, though? Perhaps if followers of Christ in places of influence began to embrace dialogue, collaboration and the quest to listen and understand, that would be a powerful first step. Secondly, if all followers of Christ chose to operate from love in whatever capacity we may engage in social and political structures – whether voting, volunteering, contributing, lobbying, petitioning, negotiating or communicating with leaders, this could have a transforming impact on the systems that operate in our world. Such a policy of love would inevitably impact economic realities (poverty and the gap between rich and poor) climate change, conflict, health care, immigration and xenophobia concerns, crime, exploitation and human trafficking in positive ways, because we could no longer remain uninvolved in the struggles of our world, and we could no longer choose the methods of expediency, dominance and self-service in our responses to our world’s need. The Advent challenge this week is for us to follow Christ in becoming – individually and together – Immanuel in our broken world. The incarnation continues through Christians if we take Christ’s call seriously!

LOCAL APPLICATION:  It’s not hard to discern, in our churches and communities, how the call to be agents of God’s presence and love should be worked out. Within our own groups, it’s the simple acts of service, inclusion and grace that easily manifest God’s love. In this Advent season, a particular awareness of, and care for, those who have significant need is a visible reflection of God’s care. Food parcels, invitations to be part of small groups and special community building events all open us, and those in need, to God’s presence and love. Beyond the walls of the church, simple neighbourliness can be a very effective reflection of God’s care. Setting aside time to volunteer in a shelter or caring ministry, or welcoming needy or lonely people into our celebrations – making them part of our family – also offers tremendous healing and transformation. Whatever the actual actions we may choose to do, the key to experiencing Immanuel again this Advent, is to offer ourselves to be “little Immanuels” in practical ways in our own world. If we can lay aside any possible benefit we may receive – whether church growth or personal satisfaction – so much the better!

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
God With Us
Come Again
Where Is The Love?
Love In Action

Hymn Suggestions:
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Love Came Down At Christmas
Let Earth And Heaven Combine
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
What Child Is This?
God With Us (Link to YouTube video)
Jesus Messiah (Link to YouTube video)
Born That We May Have Life
Joy Has Dawned
Light Of the World

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Sacrament

Video Suggestions:
Advent: Love
God With Us
Four Words
Christ Is Coming

But perhaps this is a good thing. Perhaps we need to be reminded that great joy and great suffering exist right beside each other. Perhaps we need to be reminded that even as we celebrate, others grieve, and our celebration is empty and destructive unless we also work to create a reason for the least and most vulnerable among us to celebrate. Perhaps it’s good for us to go directly from “Peace on earth and good will to humanity” to the reality of violence, destruction and suffering, so that we can renew our commitment to the Christmas message in the light of the pain of our world, rather than in some celebratory vacuum.

May your worship and preaching today offer a real and robust reason for joy and hope in our broken and hurting world.

READINGS:
Isaiah 63:7-9: A Psalm of praise for God’s love for God’s people, and God’s deliverance and mercy which carries them.

Psalm 148: A call for creation to praise God, for God’s glory is over all, and God uplifts and strengthens God’s people.

Hebrews 2:10-18: Through Jesus, who became human, like us, and who was tempted, like us, God has brought us, as Christ’s sisters and brothers, into God’s glory.

Matthew 2:13-23: Herod slaughters all boys two years and younger after being outwitted by the wise men, but Jesus and his parents, after being warned by God, have already fled to Egypt. After Herod’s death, they return to the land of Israel and settle in Nazareth.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This is a tough day in the Lectionary, especially coming right after the Christmas celebration. While it can be tempting to avoid the obvious difficulties with today’s readings and just stay with expressions of faith and rejoicing in the coming of Christ and the promise of God’s deliverance, even from enemies who would seek to destroy God’s purposes, to do this is to do our people – and the Scriptures – a disservice. While it is good to affirm that God’s plan of salvation is worked out throughout biblical history, and in our own times and lives, the shocking image of the innocent children who are slaughtered as Christ escapes cannot be avoided. Neither can the reality of the millions of innocent children who die daily through poverty, war, curable diseases and human trafficking. To ignore this horrific story, or to focus only on Christ’s escape, is to paint God as a heartless manipulator of history, and human beings as expendable pawns. Rather, the challenge of this passage is to seek to understand the impact that Herod’s cold abuse of power had on Christ and his life. It is to recognise the grief of God in the cry of the mothers who lost their children. And it is to recognise God’s grief for the lost innocents of our world today. Then, as our hearts are broken, we cannot help but follow Christ into a life of protecting the most vulnerable, and of holding our leaders accountable to justice and integrity for the sake of the poor. The message of Christmas, then, is not just that God is with us, but that through us, God seeks to be with all people, especially those who are grieving, suffering and marginalised.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It would be wonderful to be able to say that Herods no longer exist in the halls of power in our world, but we all know this is not the case. Some of our leaders are deliberately corrupt, feeling nothing for bringing suffering and devastation on their nation and people, while they enjoy privilege, prosperity and power. Others are simply weak, unable to resist the temptations of power and greed, and unable to stand against those who lead them into corruption through promises of financial and political support. And all the while, people in poverty-stricken, debt-crippled countries suffer and die, ignored by the powerful and wealthy. In this scenario, though, there are leaders – of government, of business, of faith communities, of the arts – that stand with integrity and courage against injustice. It is important for us to identify these leaders and support them in prayer and in any other way we can. But, it is equally important for us, as followers of the ultimate leader, Christ, to speak out against any slaughters of innocents we become aware of, and to do what we can to work for the healing and restoration of those who are being harmed or ignored. Among the issues we need to be involved with, human trafficking stands out as a modern “slaughter of the innocents” which must call us to prayer and action in Christ’s name.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Preachers have a tough time this Sunday. It is quite possible that, after the Christmas joy, this Sunday’s service could feel like a wet blanket. However, it can also be a celebration of justice and a call to life if handled well. Two emphases that can help to make this happen are as follows: 1. God is at work to save and protect the innocent, the marginalised and the poor. God is also at work, in Christ, leading us, as God’s people, into the abundant life Christ promised. God hears both the cry of the most vulnerable, and our cry. This is a gift of grace and a source of tremendous hope and joy. 2. As in Christ, God came to raise up the least and to include and restore the marginalised, so God invites us to participate in this work of joy-bringing, life-giving and saving. And it is as we particpate in God’s reign – which has come to us in Christ – that we discover life, guidance and salvation for ourselves. As we embrace these two emphases, and the life they offer, we can begin to identify the grieving and hurting ones in our midst and make a commitment to speak for them, to serve them and to protect them in any way we can.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Through Our Tears
Hear Our Cry
The Sound Of Tears
It’s My Problem Too

Hymn Suggestions:
Ye Servants Of God
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
O God Our Help In Ages Past
Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
God Of Justice (Link to YouTube video)
There Is None Like You (Link to YouTube video)
O God Our Help (Link to YouTube video)
We Won’t Stay Silent (Link to YouTube video)
All Creation Sing (Joy To The World)
Love Came Down
You Are God: Chord Chart; Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for link)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy Of Compassion

Video Suggestions:
Where Is God?
What Would Jesus Buy?
Constance