Still Striving For that Elusive Halo

Pew sheets are all done - right through to Epiphany, necessity rather than desire.

Presents all wrapped.

Cards all written and sent.

Christmas sermon is written.

Food is all in, well last bits and pieces being collected just now by Hubby as I put the finishing touches to the Christmas sermon.

Decorations are up, a bit early but if they don’t get done at home now, they won’t get done.

Now all that is needed is the Church to be decorated - that will happen tomorrow afternoon, the Christingles to be made - Monday morning and tidying this desk so I can see its surface again.

Then a flurry of services, Christingle, Lessons and Carols by Candlelight, Midnight Mass and a trip over to Cambuslang on Christmas morning to conduct their Christmas service. 

Tomorrow is Advent 4 not Christmas yet, Mary and Joseph making their way to Bethlehem.  Were they prepared for what was about to happen?  Did they expect Jesus to be born there far from home, or did they think they would be back in Nazareth before he was born?  Did Christ’s first arrival sneak up on them, as His return might very well sneak up on us, just when we think we have a couple more days, or a week, or maybe even longer?

Now what have I forgotten, there is always something?

A couple of days ago I received a text message from a number I didn’t recognise it read:-

‘Spent Wed at elephant village, and mini Siam, boys went to go-karting.  Thurs went to Pattaya crocodile farm and walked round market in Pattaya. Tday swim at hotel then into Jomtien to sit on a dif beach.’

It totally confused me and after reading it a couple of times, I decided that someone had sent a message to the wrong number, contemplated texting them back then decided against it just in case it was some kind of scam that would mean my reply would elicit more texts or some kind of hefty mysterious charge on my phone bill.

This morning I received another one, ‘Now in Phayao’ it began.  Then as I read the next words a light bulb suddenly clicked on - ‘for Wedding & Blessing.  It was from a parishioner who has travelled to Thailand for the wedding of her son, she is obviously using a different phone not her own. 

For those of you who are wondering the wedding was wonderful, they have been treated like celebrities and she has had a fabulous time.

This episode made me think of Advent and how easy it is to miss a message which comes from an unusual or unknown source.  Would John the Baptist in his camel hair, eating locus and honey be the kind of character we would expect to announce the coming of the Messiah?  Those of a Christian faith might hear and read his message now and comprehend it’s meaning and message, but would we have back then on the shores of the Jordan, would we have even travelled all the way to listen to it?

As Advent progresses we need to remember to keep our eyes and ears open, not just for the things we expect or hope to hear and see, in the places and from the people we expect or hope to hear and see them from, but open all the time, ready to receive from wherever and whoever God chooses to speak to us through.  Preparation is about more than being ready for the expected, but also about being ready and prepared for the unexpected.  We do not know the day or hour, and if we are not careful we might miss or dismiss it thinking it is something else!

At the afternoon film group today we watched Frank Capra’s ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ - some of you might be scowling now and thinking it is a Christmas film and should be banned until the festival is upon us, but actually it is a great film for Advent.

Of course there is an angel in the film, Clarence by name, so it wont surprise those who know me that this has long been one of my favourites, but it was also my first introduction to James Stewart who I have since admired in many a film.

For those of you who don’t know the film, and there are those out there, one of today’s watchers had never seen it before.  It is the story of how George Bailey discovers the importance of life and that even in the darkest of hours there are reasons to keep living, the value of friends and the impact each of us has on those around us.  It could also be said that it is a film about answered prayers, and that the answers don’t always come from where we expect them.  So before you dismiss it as a Christmas film, not to be watched for another 16 or so days remember that this film about taking stock of our lives and that is what Advent is also about, so regardless if you have seen it before or not, why not watch it this Advent as an alternative Advent discipline?

By the way - yes it made me cry again, as it has each of the countless times I have watched it, but I wasn’t alone. 

Advent is upon us, the New Year begins; sometimes I think the importance of Advent is underplayed.

As we hear once more the cries of the proclamations of the patriarchs and prophets, with John the Baptist soon adding his voice to those cries, each in their own way reminding us that we don’t always get it right and there is still much each of us could be doing, we shouldn’t be taking it as a reminder that we haven’t ordered the turkey.  As Advent progresses and we hear of the Mary and Joseph’s response to God’s call we should be challenged afresh about our own calling from God, not being challenged to find that elusive Christmas present.  Eventually we hope to get to celebrating and recalling the birth of Jesus, the realisation of generations of hopes and dreams, the Light of the World coming into the world.  Until then the only pictures of Jesus which should be painted with words and song should be that of his return in glory. 

Advent isn’t a preamble to Christmas it is a totally different season, a season of reflection and taking stock a time to turn and re-focus on what our faith is about.  Advent shouldn’t be dismissed in favour of some other celebration, or downplayed in favour of trying to extend Christmas.  We should not hide from looking at our own lives by looking at the lives of the saints; the anticipation should not be for Christmas Day, which we might not reach, but for the return of Jesus to finally unite all creation with God.

Some years ago there was a campaign to put Christ back into Christmas, to reignite the reason for the season. The same needs to be done for Advent, before it is too late and the day and hour is upon us and we are too busy being distracted by other things.