Well, how did we get here? The first day of December and Advent Sunday? It really doesn’t feel like 5
minutes since my summer holiday! But here we stand, on the cusp of a new church year, a day to light our brand-new advent candle or open the first door of our advent calendar, full of hope and expectation as we look towards Christmas and think about the promise of the return of Jesus.

I’m sure many of us are beginning to get anxious about Christmas preparations, time might seem short for
gift buying, food ordering, sorting out the visiting logistics for the big day, and so on… In our gospel reading
Jesus says: “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with the worries of this life”, he
promises that the kingdom of God is near. Therefore, as we begin the journey of Advent, how will we
shake off the anxiety caused by the expectations that the secular world showers us with at this time of
year, and focus on God? Jesus is clear that we mustn’t allow this, ‘dissipation’ is the word used in the text,
to hinder us or take our focus away from him.

Advent can be a real gift, a time of preparation and journeying with God. What preparations do we need to
make, aside from the gift buying and wrapping, to ensure that the message and meaning of the day isn’t
lost and Jesus is at the centre of our Christmas – after all ‘Jesus is the reason for the season’, there’s also
that other well-known saying, ‘you can’t take Christ out of Christmas or you’re only left with mas!’

Marking Advent is almost the very opposite of what is going on in the world around us. As Christmas TV
adverts begin to air, Christmas lights are switched on and shops become even more colourful and bright, so
society becomes more frenzied, as people focus on one day, often shopping to excess. We need to be
counter cultural and slow down, watching and waiting and paying attention to what God is saying. In
reality, in the modern world that we exist, we have to balance the two, and if we are to reach out to our
neighbours in Christian love, we do need to meet them where they are, and that might mean being a little
livelier and brighter in our Advent marking than we might otherwise be, as we seek to share God’s love and
plant seeds of hope in people’s hearts, especially in the hearts of those that don’t yet know the wonder
and love of God.

However, I do implore you to think about how you might mark Advent for yourself. As it’s the beginning of
our new church year, it’s a great time to refresh what we do daily to feed and grow our faith, and to allow
ourselves to be shaped by God. Maybe you’ll take on a new daily Holy habit – this will be different for each
of us, you know best how you meet with God – it might be a set time of prayer, a new devotional or a
scripture reading plan. It might be time out in silence or with music, a particular hymn or carol possibly.
Here in St John’s, we have a prayer table in the chapel, do take some time out to go there, sitting in
that beautiful space, engaging with the variety of Advent resources that are there, and then take them
away to use through the week. There will be a new prayer card each Sunday – feel free to stick that up at
home or pop it in your bible to use daily; there will also be a new reflection sheet each week which will
encourage you to spend time with God. When we do come to Christmas, having focused on God and
engaged in a variety of worship, we really will be in a good place to celebrate Christmas, not only more
relaxed but feeling held and loved.

In our reading, Jesus said: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see
for yourselves and know that summer is already near.” Looking ahead, new beginnings, Jesus inviting us to
seek new signs of life? Yes, we’re at the start of a new church year, but we must let Advent wake us up and
open our eyes to the presence of God in our lives and in the wider world, after all, Jesus came that we
might have life and have it abundantly. Advent is a time to look to the new bright leaves of hope unfurling in our own hearts. Advent is a time to attend to our life of prayer. Advent is a time to give thanks for God’s
grace by which all things are possible.

However, as I mentioned, Advent is the time when, in our waiting, we contemplate the second coming of
Christ, which will mean the end of the world we know. When we look at the news each day and witness
the horrors of war in many countries; weather disasters and destruction of all that God created, often for
money making purposes, I think many of us wonder if the time is coming close. This is reinforced in our
reading where it tells us: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress
among nations.” To be honest I guess many of us don’t really want to see an end to the world in our
lifetime or in our children’s lifetimes, however just contemplating this can help us to prepare our hearts
and minds, to spur us to prayer and action in the here and now, so that we may live lives that reflect the
wonders of God and be as ready as we can be when that day comes. There is no clock or calendar to tell us
when the day is coming, so all we can do is be prepared. Preparation is key to any event! When the time
comes, our faith is what will be important, our trust in Jesus Christ as our saviour will be our salvation.

Therefore, let us all consider how we nurture and grow our faith, how we put Jesus at the centre of our
lives, even in the busyness and chaos of the season, how we can be the light of Jesus to others, shining in
the darkness this Advent, becoming brighter and brighter as our faith grows.
Amen

Service: Rev Rebecca Yates, 1st December 2024. (St John’s Church Peterborough UK)

Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16 / 1 Thessalonians 3:9-end / Luke 21:25-36