Collect For Advent 2
Father in heaven, who sent your Son to redeem the world and will send him again to be our judge: Give us grace so to imitate him in the humility and purity of his first coming that when he comes again, we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Almighty God, Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Isaiah 11: 1-10
Romans 15: 4-13
Matthew 3: 1-12
“It’s not what you eat between Christmas and New Year you should worry about, it’s what you eat between New Year and Christmas.” Anon
Christmas preparations. The shops started their pressure selling straight after Halloween. ‘Shop early for Christmas’, in case things go out of stock. Mince pies, puddings, crackers, trees, big boxes of chocolate – and would you believe, Brussels Sprouts. No matter how much you love ‘em, I doubt that month-old sprouts would actually enhance the Festive meal. (I know quite a few people who would love it if the Brussels Sprouts ran out of stock).
And then there are the go-to presents of the year. Apparently Air fryers are hurtling off the shelves, but if the budget doesn’t allow, there are always seasonal standbys – I am told that there really are people who enjoy that disgusting mixture of Carnation milk and British sherry sold as ‘Something’s Irish Cream’.
The pressure to do Christmas properly is huge. But the truth is that ‘Christmas’ is now an industry, a smokescreen hiding the harsh reality of social injustice.
In the last few years, a new tradition has arrived with the Christmas tearjerkers from the major retailers. Like the unsolicited charity mail, these highlight real, deserving causes – but it’s impossible to respond to each and every one, and I’m afraid compassion fatigue is hard to resist.
Well, tough. Resist it.
It’s not as hard as going a week without a hot meal, sleeping on the street, living in fear of domestic violence, warming soup on the top of a radiator because you can’t afford the electricity to cook; worst of all, feeling that no-one cares and that there is no point in living.
So what should our response be? We can’t heal the world We can’t do everything. But that is no excuse for doing nothing. Over the Christmas period, there will be initiatives to reach out to help those in real need. We respond as we are able. But we then have to ask ourselves what happens on St Stephens day and for the rest of the year. Our giving, our support, our prayers must not be seasonal, but continuous. Perhaps the Advent preparations should encompass the whole year?
To paraphrase the quote above: “It’s not how we serve between Christmas and New Year that we should worry about, it’s how we serve between New Year and Christmas.”
Now, as we pray for whatever our personal response should be, we ask our Father what we could do to serve, not just at Christmas, but all year round. Doesn’t have to be a huge thing – but a small sincere act is a thousand times better than a grand promise unfulfilled. Be silent for a few moments and listen to God. It might not be a bad idea to write His answer down and pin it on the wall as a constant reminder.
Praying Together 24th September 2023
Heavenly Father, help us to work to accomplish your will for us according to our individual gifts without comparing ourselves to others. Help us to acknowledge our own failures and avoid condemning others for theirs.
Praying Together 17th September 2023
And when it comes down to it, I will always need forgiveness – as do we all. For all of us have sinned and fallen short.
Praying Together 10th September 2023
Yes of course we have a responsibility to address sin – but before we criticise others, we need to start with ourselves.
Praying Together 3rd September 2023
‘Those who want to save their life will lose it’, said Jesus, but though people hear Him, they don’t actually listen.
Praying Together 27th August 2023
In the end, it is Peter, once again, who takes the step that faith demands. Thousands since that day have proclaimed the same. And so do I.
Praying Together 20th August 2023
As are we all, whoever we may be – Jew, Greek, slave, free, man, woman. One in Jesus, the Christ. That’s the important bit.
Praying Together 13th August 2023
Once in a while, we might close our earthly eyes and leap over the side. There is nothing that Jesus asks us that we can’t achieve.
Praying Together 6th August 2023
The prophecy is fulfilled, the light has come, the day will dawn and the morning star will rise in our hearts. Hallelujah.
Praying Together 30th July 2023
The treasure is there – it just needs to be found. We search for truth, and realise that Jesus is the truth; the way; and the life.
Praying Together 23rd July 2023
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Praying Together 9th July 2023
‘What do I have to do to be free?’, they ask. What will it cost me?
Just believe, He says. I’ll buy it for you. On a cross
Praying Together 25th June 2023
When we are baptised in Christ, washed free of our past, we have the opportunity of starting again. We try – and will inevitably fail. But that mustn’t stop us trying.