Dear Friends,
I sometimes think that it is good to follow the stories of some of the main characters during Advent. We can learn so much from their lives and also see the faithfulness of God.
Take Zechariah and Elizabeth for example. For many, many years they had been praying for a child and it seemed that the time for this had gone, but God in his faithfulness heard their prayer, and in due course, in God’s timing, they had a child. So often we want to contain God to our experience and our reason but God outruns our reason and is certainly far greater than our experience. I would encourage you not to give up on the things you are waiting to see God breakthrough in but keep praying, remembering that God is faithful.
There is also Joseph. Joseph’s journey is a lonely one. He has to listen to Mary as she tells him she is pregnant. He knows he is not the father but can he really believe what she is saying to him? Then God speaks to him and tells him what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit and he will be called Jesus and will save his people from their sins. How does he respond? What a challenge to us! How do I respond when God shows me something I find hard to believe?
We can take these things into our prayers too – what about families we are praying for who need clarity in the midst of confusion, comfort when faced with disappointment, or guidance when they don’t know what to do.
There’s also Mary of course, who we can learn so much from and her response to the Lord, but there is also John the Baptist, and the prophets such as Isaiah who saw something far more permanent than the temporariness of what Christmas has become. He saw something everlasting, something that would bring change forever.
Most of all, may we have the chance this Advent to fix our eyes on Jesus, that in this busy season may we be still and open our hearts to him as we prepare for the wonder of his coming – Emmanuel, God with us.
Thank you so much to all those who do so much in the life of the church. Every job/role is so important and adds to the smooth running of the church. Thank you very much for all you do. May you all have a lovely Christmas knowing God’s peace and rest.
With love,
Jane