Brecon Beacons Pastorate

Order of Service

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URC Daily Devotion Worship for Sunday 29th November 2020
Advent 1: ‘Waiting and Longing’



Opening Music

Tomorrow – by U2 (abridged)

…Won't you come back tomorrow?
Won't you be back tomorrow?
Will you be back tomorrow?
Can I sleep tonight?
'Cause I want you, I, I want you
I really, I, I want, I, I
I want you to be back tomorrow
I want you to be back tomorrow

Will you be back tomorrow?
Won't you be back tomorrow?
Won't you be back tomorrow?
Will you be back tomorrow?

Open up, open up
To the lamb of God
To the love of he who made
The blind to see
He's coming back
He's coming back
Oh believe it
Jesus's coming
I'm gonna be there
I'm gonna be there mother
I'm gonna be there mother
I'm going out there, ooh

Introduction

Hello. My name is Andy Braunston and alongside my work with four lovely churches in and around Glasgow I coordinate the Daily Devotions from the United Reformed Church and have been helping to ensure we’ve had a Sunday service every week since mid-March. We have a special series of Daily Devotion services for Advent. We thought we would do something different for our Sunday Advent, Christmas and Epiphany services and use reflections written by Baptist writer, Nick Fawcett, who offers meditations based on the perspective of various people in the Biblical story. We’ve mixed these with music - sometimes secular like today - and a range of hymns. The reflections take the place of sermons and we hope that, for the next few weeks, you sit back and enjoy these, slightly different, services. If they aren’t quite to your taste, don’t worry, we have a more traditional Carol Service, Christmas Eve midnight service and Christmas Day morning service for you as well! I’m now going to hand over to my colleague Lesley Thomson who is an ordinand at the Scottish United Reformed and Congregational College. Lesley is undertaking a placement in my churches and has helped put these services together.

Lesley Thompson

In our service today we think about waiting and longing through the eyes of two characters in the stories - a guest at a dinner party and Simon the Zealot as well as through the eyes of a nominal believer. Many Christians, when they celebrate Holy Communion announce: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. I wonder how many of us really believe that Christ will come again. It’s one of the great Advent themes and yet it’s not something we often dwell upon in our Christian lives. Christ’s coming again is bound up with the idea of justice and judgement - again ideas we don’t like very much in contemporary Christianity. These themes should make us wonder - wonder if we’ve used our gifts wisely, thought of others as well as ourselves, been honest in all our dealings, offered forgiveness just as God has forgiven us, and responded to Christ in the lives of the poor, the weak and the hungry. These are difficult things to ponder as we journey together through Advent.

Call to Worship

We wait for the Lord and in His word we hope.
We wait for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning

This is no darkness in you, O Lord.

O people, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love.
and with God is plenteous redemption.

There is no darkness in you, O Lord.

Glory be to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

There is no darkness in you, O Lord.

Come let us worship

Hymn Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending
Charles Wesley 1707 - 1788

Lo! he comes with clouds descending,
Once for favoured sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
God appears, on earth to reign!

Those dear tokens of His passion,
still his dazzling body bears;
cause of endless exultation
to His ransomed worshippers,
with what rapture,
with what rapture,
with what rapture,
gaze we on those glorious scars!


Yea, Amen! let all adore thee,
High on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory:
Claim the kingdom for thine own:
O come quickly!
O come quickly!
O come quickly!
Alleluia! Come, Lord, come!

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Assurance of Forgiveness

Lord God,

We come as guest invited to join in praise and worship,
grant us this time of serenity and peace
Allow us to remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of life
And Calm our minds from distracting thoughts
So that we may share in the words prayers and praise of this service.

There have been times when we have ignored your invitation Lord,
Displaced our graciousness with contempt and ignorance
Please forgive us for these lapses in judgement and guide us in your way.
Grant us the fulfillment of joining in your praise and worship.

Forgive us Lord, for those times when we allow our faith to be hidden from view
Remind us of the work undertaken by Christ with the poor, outcast and estranged.
Provide us with the grace to follow in his footsteps as we walk in the world today

Thank you for reminding us of our journey,
open our eyes and keep us ever vigilant as we step along your pathway of love and understanding.
And hear us now as we pray together in the words Jesus taught us, saying..

Our Father who art in heaven…

Prayer of Illumination

Lord as we listen to your word today
we ask that you be in our hearts and in our minds,
That you be in our mouths and in our speaking
And that you be in our heads and in our understanding

Amen

St Luke 14: 16-24

Then Jesus said to him, ‘Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.” But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.” So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” And the slave said, “Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” Then the master said to the slave, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you,[b] none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.”

Meditation of a guest dining with Jesus and Simon the Pharisee

Turn down the chance of a feast!
Can you see that happening?
I can’t
It’s possible, I suppose, that one or two wouldn’t be able to make it –
A pressing engagement, perhaps,
An unavoidable commitment –
But the majority would move hell and high water to be there,
Not just for the chance of a free meal, though that’s reason enough,
But for the whole occasion,
The fun, frivolity, friendship
Everything an event of that sort symbolises.
Would people really turn their backs on that,
Let alone respond with open hostility?
No, I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t ring true,
The prospect not only ridiculous but, quite frankly, incredible.
And yet, isn’t that precisely why Jesus told the story,
To bring home how foolish it is
To turn down the invitation he brings,
To turn our backs on the joy, blessing and fulfilment
He so longs for us to share in?
It should be incredible, shouldn’t it?
But sadly, it’s not,
Time and again his love rejected,
His offer of new life thrown back into his face.
We all do it, if we’re honest,
Even though we may think we’re committed.
We’ve time enough for him when it’s convenient,
When it suits us to make time,
But we’re only too ready to thrust him aside
When “more pressing” concerns raise their head,
His call then relegated to second place.
Not now, we say,
Tomorrow will do,
But, all too often, tomorrow never comes.
Thank God he’s ready to make allowances –
Only don’t push it too far
And certainly don’t go counting any chickens,
For the invitation may not hold for ever,
Not even for us.
If we’re too busy to respond, there are others ready,
Others only too conscious of their need
And the privilege extended to them.
Delay too long,
And you may find your place at table taken,
Your seat occupied,
The banquet God had in store for you consumed by another.
Think about those words of his,
That message he tried to put across.
It’s not just about others;
It’s about you –
The response you’ve made,
The response you continue to make.
The guest list is made up,
But it can easily be changed.
Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

Hymn Wait for the Lord
Jacques Berthier © Les Presses et Ateliers Taize

Wait for the Lord whose day is near,
wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart.

St Matthew 25: 1-13

‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids[c] got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Meditation of a Typical Nominal Christian

Not ready!
What’s he trying to say?
Of course I’m ready,
prepared for the coming of the kingdom whenever that might be -
no way you’ll catch me on the hop!
All right, so I’ve not done anything about it,
not yet, anyway,
but I will when I need to, you mark my words.
What’s the hurry, though, that’s what I say -
there’ll be time for change later -
live a little first while you have the chance,
let your hair down,
push the boat out,
enjoy today and let tomorrow take care of itself.
Oh, you may tut and shake your heads,
but there’ll be ample opportunity to make amends, you’ll see.
Don’t think I’m stupid,
I’Il be watching for the signs as well as any,
and if it’s ever clear that my time’s up,
the writing on the wall either for me or this world of ours,
I’ll make my peace with God soon enough.
But all that’s for later,
no point worrying about it now.
I’ve got years left in me yet, haven’t I? -
haven’t I?
Lord, what’s going on …
help … I never thought …
never imagined for a moment!
Lord … are you there …
are you listening?
Oh Lord!

Hymn Give Me Oil in My Lamp
Trad.

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Keep me burning till the break of day.

Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the King of kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the King!

St Luke 12: 35-48

‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

‘But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.’

Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?’ And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says to himself, “My master is delayed in coming”, and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. But one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

Meditation of Simon the Zealot

Meditation of Simon the Zealot, one of the twelve disciples
We thought the waiting was over,
After all those years looking forward to the dawn of the Messiah,
we dared to hope the moment had arrived’
the day when God’s kingdom would at last be established
and his servant would rule over all.
But apparently not,
for here he was,
our friend Jesus, whom we had looked to with such confidence,
such anticipation,
telling us to be dressed for action,
prepared once again for his coming.
It left us bemused, bewildered,
for why did he have to leave us?
Why not simply stay and claim the kingdom now?
Only it wasn’t that simple, unfortunately,
a time apart needed before we could truly be together,
and it came as a bitter blow.
It had been hard enough for those of before us to keep faith,
to hold on to the belief that the Messiah would come
despite centuries of disappointment,
and now here he was talking of another long delay in store,
no telling how long it might be before his return;
even, indeed, whether we might see it in our lifetime.
It takes courage to go on trusting then;
a special kind of faith to keep hope fresh
and the flame burning as brightly as the day it was lit.
We may think we’re ready and waiting,
but it doesn’t take long for carelessness or complacency to set in.
He will come, we tell ourselves.
but not today,
not tomorrow,
And probably not the next day;
so relax,
take it easy,
plenty of time for more serious discipleship.
He will come,
but there’s no sign of it yet,
not even the slightest indication that the day is near;
so, for the moment at least,
let’s accommodate the way of the world,
a little pragmatism to balance faith.
Do you see what I’m getting at?
We say we believe,
that our faith is as vibrant as the day it was born,
but it no longer makes any difference to our lives,
its life – giving breath slowly anaesthetised
by habit and familiarity.
Don’t let that happen to you.
Don’t be caught short when the day finally dawns.
I know his promise seems a long time ago
and its fulfilment equally as far away,
and I know how easy it is
to feel like those who waited so long for the Messiah’s coming yet never saw it.
The difference is that we’ve seen him for ourselves,
we’ve watched as he dwelt among us,
lived, breathed, suffered and died;
and we know now, despite everything that may seem to deny it,
that, as he came, so he shall come again.

Hymn Christ is Coming! Let Creation from her Groans and Travails Cease
John Ross Macduff (1818-1895)

Christ is coming! Let creation
from her groans and travail cease;
let the glorious proclamation
hope restore and faith increase.

2 Earth can now but tell the story
of Thy bitter Cross and pain;
she shall yet behold Thy glory,
when Thou comest back to reign.

Come on back home!
Come on back home!
Come on back home!
Haste that joyous jubilee

3 Long Thy people have been pining,
for Thy peace and rest in Thee.
Soon in Heavenly glory shining,
there restored shall they see.

4 With that blessed hope before us,
let no harp remain unstrung;
let the mighty Advent chorus
onward roll on every tongue.

Affirmation of Faith

It is not true that creation and the human family
are doomed to destruction and loss—

This is true:
For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life;

It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination,
hunger and poverty, death and destruction—

This is true:
I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.

It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word,
and that war and destruction rule forever—

This is true:
Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
his name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God,
the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.

It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil
who seek to rule the world—

This is true:
To me is given authority in heaven and on earth,
and lo I am with you, even until the end of the world.

It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted,
who are the prophets of the Church before we can be peacemakers—

This is true:
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh
and your sons and daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions
and your old men shall have dreams.

It is not true that our hopes for liberation of humankind,
of justice, of human dignity, of peace
are not meant for this earth and for this history—

This is true: The hour comes, and it is now,
that the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and in truth.

Intercessions

We join together in our prayer for others

Loving God,
We pray for the oppressed and the forgotten,
for the hungry, the lonely and the victimised.
So many people throughout the world will go without food today,
Without hope for the future, or the friendship of others to sustain them
Give strength to the weak, the marginalised and the hungry
Allow us to hold them in our prayers

We hold them in our hearts now…

Creator God,
We pray for our world today,
That we pay attention to the needs of the planet
Let us not be blind to the damage we are causing
to the environment and creatures we share this world with
Remove the necessity of consumption from our lives
Allowing us to remain the caretakers of your creation.

We hold creation within our hearts now…

Gracious God,
We find ourselves living in a time of global pandemic
With concerns for the health of all people
Concerns over physical health and the damage caused by Covid 19
Concerns over the damage to mental health caused by the restrictions to our lives
Wrap your arms around the world Lord,
Remind all people that you are here for them

We hold the sick within our hearts now…

Lord,
We now take this time to hold those dear to ourselves,
Those who are struggling with health concerns or financial concerns
Those who are lonely or grieving the loss of a loved one.

In this time of silence we hold those close to us within our hearts…

Loving Lord,
Let us be ready and prepared to share your love with the world around us
Amen

Offertory Introduction & Prayer

Week after week we are guests at the banquet Jesus throws open to all. Week after week we are invited to give - of our time by simply being here, of our talents, of our love and of our financial gifts. Our churches across these islands have been blessed by the generosity that our people continue to show even in these strange times as we’ve kept up with our envelopes, made our standing orders or made a special gift. Let us give thanks now for this generosity.

We come to your banquet,
O servant King,
as guests uninvited,
ready to accept your generosity
which we do not deserve,
yet you raise use, feast with us, and pour your gifts upon us.
Take our paltry gifts which we offer in return,
that they may be used to further your coming Kingdom
which is breaking into our world.
Amen.

Hymn Comfort, Comfort Now My People
based on Isaiah 40: 1-5, Johannes Olearius (1611-1684) translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

Comfort, comfort ye my people,
speak of peace, so says our God;
comfort those who sit in darkness,
mourning 'neath their sorrow's load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell her that her sins I cover,
and her warfare now is over.

2: For the herald's voice is crying
in the desert far and near,
bidding all folk to repentance,
since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
let the valleys rise to meet him,
and the hills bow down to greet him.

3: Make ye straight what long was crooked,
make the rougher places plain;
let your hearts be true and humble,
as befits God’s holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
now o'er earth is shed abroad;
and all flesh shall see the token
that God’s word is never broken.

Blessing

Be people of peace.
Let peace live in your heart and share the peace of Christ with all you meet.
Share peace by acting out of compassion and not fear.
Share peace by listening to all sides of the story.
Share peace by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share peace.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share peace and hope with those you meet.
Amen.

Closing Music - Blinded By Your Grace by Stormzy (abridged)

I'm blinded by your grace
I'm blinded by your grace, by your grace
I'm blinded by your grace
I'm blinded by your

Lord, I've been broken
Although I'm not worthy
You fixed me, I'm blinded
By your grace
You came and saved me (x2)

One time for the Lord
And one time for the cause
And one round of applause
One time for Fraser T Smith on the chords (woo!)
I feel we got one
I stay prayed up, then I get the job done
Yeah, I'm Abigail's yout, but I'm God's son
But I'm up now, look at what God's done
Now I real talk, look at what God did
On the main stage runnin' 'round topless
I phone Flipz, then I tell him that we got this
This is God's plan, they can never stop this
Like, wait right there, could you stop my verse?
You saved this kid and I'm not your first
It's not by blood and it's not by birth
But, oh my God, what a God I serve

Lord, I've been broken
Although I'm not worthy
You fixed me, I'm blinded
By your grace
You came and saved me (x2)

I said a prayer this morning
I prayed I would find the way
To another day, I was so afraid
'Til you came and saved
You came and saved me…




References
Call to Worship from The Worship Source Book
Meditations by Nick Fawcett
Affirmation of Faith from Daniel Berrigan, S.J. in Testimony: The Word Made Flesh, Orbis Books, 2004.

Tomorrow by U2 Songwriters: Adam Clayton / Dave Evans / Paul Hewson / Larry Mullen. Tomorrow lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending taken from BBC’s Songs of Praise
Wait for the Lord sung by 7pm Choir St Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Give Me Oil in My Lamp performed by Nathan Jess
Christ is Coming! Let Creation from her Groans and Travails Cease performed by Matt Scott in 2017
Comfort, Comfort Now My People sung by the Choir and Congregation of First Plymouth Church, Lincoln, Nebraska
Blinded by Your Grace byUzoechi Osisioma Emenike / Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Junior / Fraser T Smith

Thanks to
Lesley Thomson for preparing and reading the prayers.

Tina Wheeler, Alison Jiggins, John Young, Morag Donaldson, Pam Carpenter, David Shimmin and Andy Braunston for reading various spoken parts of the service.

Marion Thomas, David Shimmin, Christine Shimmin Carol Tubbs and Alison Jiggins for reading the Call to Worship and Affirmation of Faith
Where words are copyright reproduced under the terms of Barrhead URC’s CCLI licence number 1064776,
Some material reprinted, and streamed, with permission under ONE LICENSE A-734713 All rights reserved.
PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762


Copyright © 2020 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved

Sunday 29th November – First Sunday of Advent

Call to worship

As stars to the maker
WE ARE THE WORK OF GOD’S HANDS

As plants to the gardener
WE ARE THE WORK OF GOD’S HANDS

As clay to the potter
WE ARE THE WORK OF GOD’S HANDS

HYMN
1 Hail to the Lord's Anointed,
Great David's greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.

2 He comes, with succour speedy,
To those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy,
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in his sight.

3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in his path to birth;
Before him, on the mountains,
Shall peace the herald go;
And righteousness, in fountains,
From hill to valley flow.

4 Kings shall fall down before him,
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore him,
His praise all people sing;
To him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend,
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.

5 O'er every foe victorious,
He on his throne shall rest;
From age to age more glorious,
All-blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand for ever,
His changeless name of Love.
James Montgomery (1771-1854)

Prayer
Loving God let your hope arise in our hearts! Lift our eyes up to see that you alone are where our hope comes from. Help us to shake off the anxiety, discouragements, and distractions that have filled this year.
May we pause to remember that we have hope in you.
You know the end of our stories, and we give thanks because you have promised that it will end with us returning to you. Give us the grace we need to wrap up this year joyfully even in the difficult circumstances in which we find ourselves.
We invite your Spirit into this beautiful Advent season. Renew our sense of holy anticipation! Let us be those who are waiting eagerly for Jesus to come again.
We confess that we have so often failed you. We have waited in hope for you to act and absolve us of responsibility for this world’s problems. We have failed to show your love to each other and our love to you. We have dismissed the challenges facing us as too difficult and failed to do even the little we can.
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
May almighty God have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins and grant us time to amend our lives, enabling us to live as people of hope.
As God’s forgiven and beloved people, let us join together in the prayer that Jesus gave his followers as a gift in whichever language is appropriate to us…. Ein Tad/Our Father…
Readings
Isaiah 64 v 1-9

64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence—
2 [a] as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
5 You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.[b]
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered[c] us into the hand of our iniquity.
8 Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
and do not remember iniquity for ever.
Now consider, we are all your people.

Mark 13 v 24-37
The Coming of the Son of Man
24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
28 ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he[a] is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
The Necessity for Watchfulness
32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert;[b] for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’
Why doesn’t God just step in and intervene? Just think of all the disease that could be eradicated, wars that could be stopped, hungry that could be fed and so on. The problems of the world could be stopped overnight.
This was the cry of God’s people through the Old Testament. They cried to God and God heard them. Yet, despite the fact that it’s part of Isaiah, our passage is set in the time after the exile. The temple had been rebuilt but Israel was still under foreign occupation and its problems hadn’t gone away. So, the prophet calls to God on behalf of the people, but God appears to be silent.
Those who believe in some sort of deity have a range of views of how that deity interacts in the daily life of the world. Some Christians have worked quite happily with the notion that God created the world and set it up as a watchmaker creates a watch which can run quite happily without intervention. Others see God as interested and intervening in the most minute and routine details of everyday life, making traffic jams vanish and sports teams win.
Those who believe in a God who directly shapes life often link this with the belief that everything will go well, possibly based on an interpretation of Romans 8:28 – all things work together for God. This can lead to the danger of a dual world view where God gets the credit for everything good, while Satan bears the responsibility for everything that goes wrong. However, that’s not the biggest danger.
Often when we call for God to intervene miraculously and change the course of history, the expectation is that it will work favourably for us. The reality of this is that because of the way in which the world works, there will be winners and losers. Pick most bones of contention in today’s society and you will find people of God who make coherent arguments for both sides. If God did rend the heavens and come down, some people would be sorely disappointed – and that might include us.
This is not just speculation but has good grounding in Scripture. The people who were shouting loudest that God should hear the cries of the Jewish people, directly intervene in history and kick out the Romans were harshest in the condemnation and criticism when God actually did something and came down into human existence because it wasn’t the response they asked for or expected. God did hear their prayers and intervened but not in a way that anyone might have expected – the divine intervention came in the shape of a tiny baby who would experience what it was to be truly human.
This is the part of Advent that we look back on as we prepare to celebrate the religious festival of Christmas once again. However, there is also a future and present aspect to our Advent reflections which we will now go on to explore.
The reading from Mark’s gospel comes from the section known as ‘the little apocalypse’ where Jesus speaks on the coming judgement on Israel and the return of the Son of Man. This uses imagery which the hearers of the time would have understood. By the time the gospel was in circulation, readers and hearers were probably all too aware of the destruction of the Temple and the end of the worship and sacrifices carried out there. This would have seemed like the end of the world by those who lived through it.
Even so, the Son of Man did not return, and the early church had to come to terms with the reality that it was not going to happen during their lifetime. Down the years, the Second Coming has been used as a means of national control, a catalyst for revolution, an incentive to evangelism and a veiled threat in upholding standards in church discipline (If Jesus came now – the theological equivalent to ‘wait till your father comes home’). Hours of study and gallons of ink have been expended in examining the scriptures to try and work out when Jesus will come again. One of the reasons why Donald Trump was so popular with Evangelical Christians in America was because his policy towards Israel seemed to align with their interpretation of things that must happen before the Second Coming and Armageddon.
What happened at the First Coming – God took everyone by surprise – should make us very wary about pronouncing on what will happen before and during the ‘Second Coming’ as described in the New Testament. I believe that there will come a day when Jesus returns and judges the nations in the sense of putting everything right. Yet there’s part of me that thinks applying Second Coming to that event is a little misleading. I think Jesus comes again and again in the shape of ordinary people like you and me.
Last week, Julie reflected on the parable of the sheep and the goats. Jesus makes it very clear that in the way in which we behave towards our fellow humans, we behave towards Him. I believe that Jesus is present here and now in the lives and actions of those who seek to show God’s love towards the world and the people made in the divine image who inhabit it. I also think that Jesus is not exclusively present in the church.
So, I would like to encourage myself and all of you to live as if Jesus is here now, present in those who seek to follow his example of love, rather than trying to work out how or when any final act concluding history will happen. This Advent, as we prepare to celebrate Christmas again and look forward to the future, let us remember that Jesus is here now, present in each one of us through the Holy Spirit and treat each other and the world accordingly. That way we can be used as part of God’s great Clean-up plan and rather than waiting around for the Almighty to step in, begin discovering that we can do to help.
None of us knows what the future holds. There are times when we don’t know what we will be able to do next week. Yet we can still show love to each other, as an antidote to so much of the behaviour we see around us. Let us prepare to remember the past, look forward to the future, but above all live in the present as people of God. Amen.
Silence
Meditation
HYMN: Who would think that what was needed
1 Who would think that what was needed
to transform and save the earth
might not be a plan or army,
proud in purpose proved in worth?
Who would think despite derision,
that a child might lead the way?
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.

2 Shepherds watch and wise men wonder,
monarchs scorn and angels sing;
such a place as none would reckon
hosts a holy, helpless thing;
stable beasts and by-passed strangers
watch a baby laid in hay:
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.

3 Centuries of skill and science
span the past from which we move,
yet experience questions whether,
with such progress we improve.
While the human lot we ponder,
lest our hopes and humour fray,
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.

John L Bell (born 1949) and Graham Maule (1958-2019)
© 1987, 2002 WGRG, c/o Iona Community, 21 Carlton Court, Glasgow, G5 9JP, Scotland. Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 634229
Prayer
Lord as we come before you today on this First Sunday of Advent, we ask you to prepare us for your coming, you promised through your son Jesus Christ to hear us when we pray in faith and we bring before you today the needs of the Church and the world

We pray for your church today, gathering all around the world in tiny churches and great cathedrals to praise you and to hear your holy word. Give us a sense of expectation as we come and inspiration as we go.
Help us to put our differences behind us and to unite instead behind the great commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations and all people.
We pray for your blessing on all those who preach and teach the message of your salvation and we pray especially the Ministers, lay preachers and Elders who serve us as they seek to do your will and guide us through our spiritual and worldly journeys.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer

Drive away despair from our politics, revive our dreams of justice and truth, restore our passion for what is good and right.
Establish your just and gentle rule in Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan Zimbabwe,and other areas of the world where there is conflict and where peace has been powerless and violent people have had their day.
We ask you to govern the hearts and minds of those who lead our nations and for those in authority that they may act justly, with honesty and integrity according to your will.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer

In our daily life, help us never to forget the supremacy of love. May love motivate our care for our neighbourhoods in the Brecon Beacons, may love heal the social issues and problems, which sometimes drag us into despair.
May love inspire our citizenship to rise beyond mediocrity, and may we always remember that we are members one of another and that we can never live to ourselves alone.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer

On this day we pray for the homeless, the refugees the expelled and forgotten people everywhere. May they know that your guiding hand is with them in their daily work and tireless endeavours.
We ask you to help us all to use our gifts and our talents to the greater good of all, challenge us to drive away complacency and apathy when we know in our hearts that we can do more to help and sustain those in need.
We pray for others for whom this day will seem long and hard, for those in hospital or ill at home, those struggling with despair or depression, those seeking work, and for those for whom this day will be their last.
Comfort and heal all who suffer or mourn the death of loved ones, give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation.

Lord in your Mercy, hear our prayer

Be with all those who are on our hearts and minds today as we name them aloud or in silence…
Lord in your Mercy, hear our prayer
As we leave this place today Advent Lord come even nearer.
Come to rejuvenate our faith, come to fortify our social conscience, come to widen our eyes of wonder, so that when the Saviour comes he may steal into our hearts and find them ready.

Loving God, accept these prayers for the sake of your son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
HYMN: The voice of God…
1 The voice of God goes out to all the world:
his glory speaks across the universe.
The Great King's herald cries from star to star,
with power, with justice, he will walk his way.

2 The Lord has said: Receive my messenger,
my promise to the world, my pledge made flesh,
a lamp to every nation, light from light:
with power, with justice, he will walk his way.

3 The broken reed he will not trample down,
nor set his heel upon the dying flame.
He binds the wounds, and health is in his hand:
with power, with justice, he will walk his way.

4 Anointed with the spirit and with power,
he comes to crown with comfort all the weak,
to show the face of justice to the poor:
with power, with justice, he will walk his way.

5 His touch will bless the eyes that darkness held,
the lame shall run, the halting tongue shall sing,
and prisoners laugh in light and liberty:
with power, with justice, he will walk his way.

Luke Connaughton (1917-1979)
© McCrimmon Publishing Co. Ltd.
Used By Permission. Calamus Licence No. A735906

Blessing
All music copied and streamed under CCL 634229 & 138598, One Licence A735906 & PRS Licence 0021369