Advent Calendars - few of my favourites, and there's not even any chocolate involved!

‘God enters the world’ was the theme of Messy Church yesterday. In the same way we can say ‘God enters our lives’. God is the one ringing the doorbell while we’re distracted by many things. Emmanuel, God-with-us wants to be with us. Advent then is an invitation to us to be ready for God’s arrival, to be hopeful for God’s coming, to say with fresh faith ‘Come Lord Jesus’.

Where do we find Advent hope in a world in self-destruct mode?

This is the king who reigns with the power that is love...

Today’s gospel reading is the only time it is read in the three-year Lectionary Cycle outside of Holy Week. You might be forgiven for thinking that we have rapidly skipped past Advent, Christmas and Lent and gone straight to Easter!

Today is also the end of that three-year cycle, where we work our way through the Bible and, this year especially, through Luke. Next week, the liturgical year starts anew, with Advent, candles and a sense of anticipation for what is to come.

Today is about The Reign of Christ, or Christ the King.

How do we cope with the end of the world?

We could ignore it.

We could magnify it.

We could endure it.

Joy to the World - or is it? Jesus has some challenging words for his disciples, but also some encouragement

What does it mean to be already living into the Resurrection hope we share?

In a world of things we do not know, in a life full of questions of ‘why?’ In our experiences of all that dies and decays, we mourn. We mourn, but not as those without hope. We are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song.

Christianity is the conviction that love is stronger than death, that we are sealed upon God’s heart, that no matter what may confront us, assail us, or leave us, we need never be afraid. In Christ’s outstretched arms on the cross, and in his outstretched arms as risen Lord embracing those he loves, he shows us that love is stronger than death.

New growth from the tree trunk