Canon Jonathan reminds us how prone we are, especially in the holiday season, to distract ourselves from the misery in our lives. But Advent provides an opportunity to flee sentimentality and, instead, gather up our longings and remember our God, whose promised coming is the hope of the ages.

Are we prepared for the return of King Jesus? Surely, we are not, for we often give allegiance to corrupt rulers and ideologies and thus surrender the dignity of being made in the image of God. And yet, God speaks. He comes to where we are and, in the power of Jesus, restores us to life incorruptible.

Politics is an ever-present reality in our lives these days and in this sermon Canon Jonathan addresses the topic head-on, not by weighing in on partisan debates but by redirecting our attention to the two questions Revelation asks us: What are you looking at? And who is your king?

We have a Good Shepherd, and yet we Christians often live as if we were on our own. But when our leaders fail, we must remember how singularly beautiful is Jesus, the Good Shepherd who is always and ever faithful. Jesus perceives all that we are, deems us precious in his sight, and lays down even his very life to protect us.

Following Jesus is tough. We must learn to trust in God more than we trust in our own selves, for there is no other way to life. But though we struggle and doubt, what great hope exists in Jesus, who comes again and again to our rescue. We cannot go where he cannot follow, and God is sufficient to draw us back to himself.

On the Feast of All Saints, we commemorate saints past and commission saints today, for all who believe are numbered among them. Lest we forget and trade our sainthood for lesser allegiances, Bishop Paul reminds us that saints are everyday sinners set apart by Christ to be salt and light in a corrupted world. And we need never fear our own decay, for the Lord promises to preserve us eternally.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this?” Bishop Paul asks whether we truly believe that Jesus has conquered death. God, in his passionate, righteous anger at death, sent his Son to confront it, so that we in Christ need no longer fear it, and as our faith in this new life grows, so will our joy, freedom, and love.

Bishop Andy Lines joins us from the Anglican Network in Europe, receives prayer for his vital ministry, and opens the Word of God. He reminds us that every Christian has a unique connection with the unbelieving world, and Jesus so prepares us to minister to all people. God rescued us for a great purpose of love and good works, shown even to those who oppose us.

We sometimes pretend that God’s law is difficult to parse, yet Jesus helps us see that the message of Scripture has always been clear. It is a tremendously high calling: a call to radical love and mercy, especially toward those outside our tribe. For we ourselves were enemies and outsiders to God, and Jesus came to restore us to life, that we might go and do likewise for the sake of the world.

Why are we anxious? Jesus directs this simple question to disciples like us. Our anxiety is a symptom of foolish investing, for when we treasure material wealth and hoard for our own security, we forget what it means to have God as our Father. But even when we forget him, our Heavenly Father does not forget us: calling to us in our anxiety to seek first his Kingdom.