Season of Hope and Light

The word ‘Advent’ means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’.
This season marks the beginning of the Church’s year
and is celebrated on the four Sundays before Christmas.

Advent is significant for three main reasons:

1. we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ; this was His first coming to earth;
   Jesus provided salvation for us through his life, death, resurrection and ascension;
2. we see this as a season for renewing and deepening our commitment to serving God,
   and to serving others:
3. we look forward to the second Advent,
   when Jesus Christ will return as Saviour of the world to receive the Church.

This year has been extremely difficult for the entire world.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought darkness in many aspects of life.
The world will remember 2020 as a very dark, and tragic period in history.
Added to that, at this time in the northern hemisphere
we have shorter daylight hours so darkness comes early.
Whereas, in summer, when we were on lockdown,
long and bright sunny days made life more bearable.

One of the readings for Advent speaks of the Sleep of Darkness.

Always remember that this is the hour of crisis: it is high time for you to wake out of sleep, for deliverance is nearer to us now than it was when first we believed. It is far on in the night: day is near. Let us therefore throw off the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. … Let Christ Jesus himself be the armour that you wear; give your unspiritual nature no opportunity to satisfy its desires.

Romans 13: 11–14

In the Story of Creation,

God said, ‘Let here be light,’ and there was light. God saw the light that it was good and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’

Genesis 1: 3–5 NKJV

This is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him is no darkness at all.

1 John 1: 5 NIV®

Church family, on awakening this morning,
let us thank God for delivering us safely into the new day,
and work at being his hands and feet in how we relate to others.
Let us keep alert; much is demanded of those to whom much is entrusted.

The noise of a world in turmoil surrounds us:
we recognise armies by the nature of their cruelty,
we visit the stars but overlook the sorrowful.
For a moment, Lord, hush the world for me.
Help me shape a space of hope in everyone I meet, everyone I touch.
Help me create a space for you.

Amen

Source: Advent Prayer card, Church of Christ the Cornerstone

Let us pray:
‘The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.’
Heavenly Father, as we go through this Advent season,
help us to remember always that we are ‘children of the light’ and the hope of the world.
Keep us watchful and alert both for ourselves and for the world,
for our young people, for those who are elderly – some of whom may be lonely,
in need of support and a listening ear.
When the injustice of the world laughs at our insignificance, keep us watchful and alert,
for you are our rock and our God-Emmanuel ‘God with us.’

Merciful Father, accept these prayers, for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen

Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding;
‘Christ is nigh,’ it seems to say;
‘cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day.

Wakened by the solemn warning,
let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all ill dispelling
shines upon the morning skies.

Anonymous, 6th-century Latin
tr. Edward Caswall (1814–1878)

Invitation from the Methodist Central Hall

MCHW.live Carol Service 6.00–7.15 pm on Sunday, 6 December 2020.

Glynne Gordon- Carter