Standby Mode?

We are in Advent and looking forward to Christmas. In Sweden, the first Sunday in Advent is the number one church-going Sunday of the year. Theologically, it is a bit difficult to explain. When the children at home ask what happens in Advent and what the fuss is about they ask questions like: Is it because Jesus is born? No... Does he die? No… Does he rise? No… My answer is more like: No, we celebrate that we are awaiting the birth of Christ… That doesn’t impress them much!

But it is that we count down or up to an arrival. We are preparing. We are waiting. It is good. But in general there is a risk that we become TOO good at waiting.

For my own part, I have noticed that when I'm sitting at home on the sofa resting and, for example, my wife comes by and asks what I'm doing, and if I say "nothing", she immediately has ideas about what I should be doing instead. But if I instead reply that I'm waiting for something, her response is often instead, "ok sorry, then I won't disturb you.” It's like waiting becomes an activity in itself that we can occupy ourselves with.

Sometimes we as Christianity miss that Jesus is actually coming - has come - and that the time has come.

And we are in preparation to actually take action! Not to sit on a sofa. The Prince of Peace is the one we are waiting for. And that means that our waiting cannot be stuck in standby mode but that we need to be active and prepared. The light of the world comes to us.

Reading
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay;
give new courage to your people,
who trust in your love.
By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom
on earth as in heaven,
where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.

Amen.

Written by Lasse Svensson

Lasse is President of the Uniting Church in Sweden and a member of the European Methodist Council Executive Committee.

Prayer: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/times-and-seasons/advent

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