Advent is essentially a season of patient waiting – a discipline that perhaps does not come naturally to us as we live in an ever speeding society and environment of immediacy, consumerism, and self-gratification. I want it now, I need it now, I will have it now!Derived from a Latin root, Advent means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’. Lasting only four weeks, it is season of waiting, but a waiting with a quiet and joyful expectancy. A time of preparation for the birth of God’s son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at Christmas; and a looking forward for the second coming of Christ at the end of time. As St. Mark’s prepares for her Christingle Service this Sunday, 7th December; and having just returned from Messy Church’s Christmas special (over 70 people present – praise God) – we are all too well aware that the season of Advent is overtaken by the Christmas season of festivities and celebrations. So, as in the past, can I encourage all those who are taking the time to read this blog, also find some time during Advent to embrace the season of waiting and reflecting?
I think Advent is a good time to reflect back on the year, a spiritual audit if you like, and ask ourselves how we are doing as disciples of Christ? Make some time to think what it means to be a mature disciple of Christ, and ponder on what we have heard from Jesus recently as we have listened to His teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. What spiritual disciplines do we need to grow in, and up in? How is our prayer life, as individuals, and corporately as the Body of Christ? Are we taking the responsibility of feeding ourselves during the week with the Word of God, or just relying for someone else to feed us on a Sunday? Where has God called us to be salt and light during the week, and are people recognising Christ in us? Are we sacrificially giving of our time, gifts, skills, and money to help build God’s kingdom here on earth, as it is in heaven? Advent is a very good time to think about these things, as we wait patiently for the birth of Christ, this Christmas time – and celebrate His birth coming amongst us as a human being - Immanuel God with us.
Some of you will know that I have recently been up to Scotland to celebrate my stepfather’s 90th birthday. We are a large family and it was a feat in itself to get his children, grandchildren, great grandson, and spouses all together (41 in all)! Since then I have been reflecting what a very special weekend it was for him, and one he has waited for patiently, having walked through many dark valleys of pain and anguish, and up many mountain tops experiencing the panoramic grace of God throughout his long life.
Henri Nouwen says, ‘Birthdays need to be celebrated. I think it is more important to celebrate a birthday than a successful exam, a promotion, or a victory, because to celebrate a birthday means to say to someone, ‘thank you for being you’. Celebrating a birthday is exalting life and being glad for it. On a birthday we do not say, ‘thanks for what you did, or said, or accomplished.’ No we say: ‘thank you for being born and being among us’. During Advent we wait patiently in anticipation for Jesus’ birth, when ‘The Word (Jesus) became flesh and blood, and moved into our neighbourhood’ (The Message John 1). The Christmas Season is when we give thanks that Jesus was born, God with us, and came amongst us. And every Sunday when we celebrate someone’s birthday we are giving thanks that they were born, and are now amongst us!
2014 has been another exciting year for St. Mark’s and God has blessed us mightily in so many different ways as we continue to strive to put our Vision into practice, ‘Loving God and making His love known’; and we have witnessed his kingdom breaking into people’s lives, into the life of our local community, city, and further afield. As we seek His will and way for 2015 I do believe we are being called to be a church of ‘healing, wholeness, and holiness’; and in the past year we have seen members of our family of St. Mark’s receive some miraculous healing both in body, mind and spirit!
We do have two major projects before us in 2015, both of which will need our constant prayer and discernment.
They are ‘enlarging the site of our tent, letting the curtains of our habitations be stretched out’, as we begin to have pastoral oversight of St. Peter’s at the Cross, Chester, next year; and as we think about the need to expand the church centre site at St. Mark’s to enable us to continue to grow spiritually and numerically. Isaiah 54 verses 1- 3, I passionately believe have been given to us as a Church with regard to our ministry both at St. Mark’s, and now at St. Peter’s as we move forward into 2015. With regard to the development of St. Mark’s site God gave me the scripture from 1 Chronicles 28. v 20/21. Please do take time to look it up, read it, and pray with it.
So as we wait, watch, and reflect this Advent season, I pray that we may all be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to empower and equip us to share God’s love with others, and to have the courage to ask just one person – each one reach one – to one of our many Christmas services, there is a service for everyone, and for every age. Also why not use Advent to pray for one person whom you might invite to the Alpha course starting on Wed January 28th, another opportunity for ‘each one to reach one’!
May you all have a blessed and joyful month – full of hope – as we wait and watch in anticipation of great celebrations at Christmas – the birth of Jesus - born and now living amongst us!Hennie
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