Sermon - Advent Carol Service 29th November 2009
This evening, Rev Gill Tayleur preaches based on the reading from Matthew 24:42-51
Let’s pray:
May I speak and may we all hear your truth, and may it change us. Amen.
Do you have a recurring nightmare? A ghastly dream that you’ve had before, that makes you wake up gasping and sweating?
Like many people, I used to have an ‘exam dream’. In this dream, I discover I have to sit an exam just hours or even minutes before it starts. I haven’t prepared for it at all. I haven’t revised, I haven’t read any books on it, sometimes I haven’t even sat the course! But the exam is in say half an hour and I’m rushing to find out something, anything about it and to get there in time... It’s a panic dream.
And I say I used to have the exam dream, because recently it has changed into the preaching dream! Yes I’m told I’m preaching about 5 minutes before the service starts and I don’t even know what Bible passage it’s on... I wake up sweating, and with my heart pounding. Because I’m NOT READY.
ARE YOU READY?
This Advent Sunday evening, the obvious question is, are you ready for Christmas? There are 3 and half weeks to go, and plenty to do. Cards to write, presents to buy, food to bake, get togethers to organise, homes to decorate, and so on. ARE YOU READY for all the Christmas festivities?
I should think the answer is, no you’re not, but that you do know how to get ready for them in time for Christmas Day. Whether you’ll be getting it all done in good time or someone who thrives on last minute activity, you’ll be ready for Christmas.
But what about getting ready spiritually, giving time and thought to the amazing truth we celebrate at Christmas. The familiar Christmas story that most of us have heard many times before, that the Almighty God who created the universe became a vulnerable little baby. Jesus, born to be our Saviour. Born to die for us, 30 years later, so that we can be reconciled with God for now and for ever. What a wonderful truth that we celebrate at Christmas! Getting ready for it spiritually means making time & space to wonder and appreciate and maybe question and respond to the marvellous truth that we celebrate at Christmas time.
Getting ready spiritually might mean spending extra time reading, mulling over and praying over the readings we’ve heard tonight. Or it might mean using 1 of the many books of daily Advent Bible readings and prayers – I’ve a couple here if anyone wants to borrow one, one by Delia Smith, the other by St John’s College Nottingham.
Or if you’re on the internet, the Church of England has a website for Advent called Why are we waiting.com, an online Advent calendar with daily Advent reflections.
I particularly like its slogan: READY, STEADY... SLOW! Now there’s a thought – in the midst of the rush to get everything ready in time for Christmas, how about we go READY, STEADY... SLOW! How about we make moments of SLOW, to think and ponder our response to the Christmas truths about the baby born in a stable...
So, WILL YOU BE READY for Christmas?
But as well as preparing for Jesus’ first coming that we celebrate at Christmas,
on Advent Sunday, another ‘ARE YOU READY?’ question is traditionally asked: ARE YOU READY for Jesus to return?
In the passage we’ve just heard from Matthew’s gospel, Jesus challenges his listeners to be ready for his unexpected return. In fact the whole of chapters 24 and 25 are all about this. You might like to read them through during the week. Although we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, it’s clear that one day God will draw history as we know it to a close, and make a new earth, which will have Jesus centre stage. Jesus will return to judge and rule this new earth.
And the question is, ARE YOU READY? for Jesus’ return?
Let’s look at what Jesus says about all this in the 2 parables of our gospel reading.
The first is about a thief breaking into a house at night. The home owner doesn’t know when the thief is coming, doesn’t keep watch for him, and is caught out. Jesus says his return will be just as much a surprise.
We know that we need to always shut our windows and lock our front door when we go out, or set our burglar alarm if we have one. We know we have to do it every time because we don’t know when a burglar might try and break in.
We can’t see the future. Some things we can predict with accuracy, like the tides, but there are many others we can’t. Will it snow on Christmas Day? Who will win the next world cup?
And so it is with Jesus’ return. When will it happen? We do not know, we cannot know and we don’t need to know. What matters is that it will happen.
And if it doesn’t happen in our lifetime, we’ll meet Jesus as judge and king anyway. None of us knows for sure quite when we’ll face our death; that too could be any day. And living ready for Jesus’ return is the same way as living ready to meet him when we die.
So HOW are we to be ready, how are we to prepare? That’s what the second parable addresses. It’s about someone who goes away, leaving a chief servant in charge of his entire household. That servant might be good, and look after his master’s affairs responsibly and well, in which case the master will be very pleased on his return. Or the chief servant might be bad and irresponsible, getting drunk and beating his fellow servants. If the master returns to find him doing that, he’ll chuck him out and punish him. So the chief servant should carry out his responsibilities just as if his master was going to return at any time.
And as followers of Jesus, that’s what we’re to do. We’re to live in such a way that we wouldn’t have to change a thing if Jesus returned any minute now, as indeed he might.
After the 2 parables we’ve read tonight, Jesus tells another 3 in a row, which make clear what it means to be ready for his return and how we’re to live until then. In the story of the 10 virgins, we are taught that every person is responsible for his or her own spiritual condition. The story of the talents shows the necessity of using well what God has entrusted to us. The parable of the sheep and goats stresses the importance of serving others in need. No one parable by itself completely describes how we’re to live ready. Each one paints one part of the whole picture.
So, I wonder how we do on each of them.
Do we take responsibility for ourselves spiritually? Do we put time and energy and the number one priority into our relationship with God? Or does He get squeezed into Sunday worship only? Or does talking with and listening to him in prayer and reading the Bible get pushed out by other demands?
Do we think God can wait until later? Later may never come!
So do we take responsibility for ourselves spiritually, now?...
From the parable of the talents, we might ask ourselves,
Do we use well what God has entrusted to us?
Our talents, and skills, our personalities, the wonderful ways God has designed each of us to be? Whatever it is that we’re good at – do we use that well, for God?
Do we use well the time God has entrusted to us?
Do we waste too much time on our own pleasure, rather selfishly?
Or maybe the opposite: do we resent how little time we have to ourselves or to relax?
Do we use our time well, for God?
Do we use well the relationships God has entrusted to us?As friends, spouses, parents, grandparents, grown up children?
Are there relationships we take for granted, where we habitually lose our temper, or take advantage, or lack humility or compassion?...
Do we use well the money God has entrusted to us, in how we spend or save or give it away?
Indeed, do we use well ALL that God has entrusted to us? ...
And from the final parable, do we serve others in need?
Looking at you, I know lots of you do, in all sorts of ways. At Christmas there are lots of opportunities to support all sorts of good causes, near and far, with our time, money, other gifts.
These are just a few examples of how we are to live ready.
In my exam dream, I know that the outcome of the exam depends not just on the day, but on the work I’ve (not) done over weeks and months beforehand. That’s why it’s a nightmare, because I’ve not done it! In the same way, not thinking about Jesus’ return and just hoping it’ll be alright on the night won’t work. No, we need to live as Jesus wants, all the time. It’s a long term, every day thing. Just as we can’t become well prepared for an exam in half an hour, so we will only be ready for Jesus to return by living as he wants, living God’s way consistently, day in, day out.
Living as he wants at work. Living as he wants at home.
Living as he wants with our money. Living as he wants with our time...
When we think about Jesus’ surprise return to judge and rule, we need to do so remembering God’s love and forgiveness which is freely on offer. None of us will meet his standard, all of us have times when we fail, times when we don’t live just as we would want him to find us. But that’s why the news of Jesus birth at Christmas, that he was born to die for us, is such wonderful news! It means we can be forgiven and accepted, and given a fresh start.
Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean we’ll always get everything right, but that we quickly discover where we’re going wrong and say sorry and turn around to change and live differently, thanks to God’s love and forgiveness .
So, ARE YOU READY?
Let’s get ready. Let’s spend Advent in the READY STEADY SLOW! way, learning to live as Jesus wants, becoming people who live ready for Jesus’ return.
So let’s pray...
Dear God, thank you for the wonderful birth of your Son Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas. This Advent, please help us spot the ways we can take moments of SLOW to appreciate this, and learn how to live ready for your return. Thru Christ our Lord, Amen.
Let’s pray:
May I speak and may we all hear your truth, and may it change us. Amen.
Do you have a recurring nightmare? A ghastly dream that you’ve had before, that makes you wake up gasping and sweating?
Like many people, I used to have an ‘exam dream’. In this dream, I discover I have to sit an exam just hours or even minutes before it starts. I haven’t prepared for it at all. I haven’t revised, I haven’t read any books on it, sometimes I haven’t even sat the course! But the exam is in say half an hour and I’m rushing to find out something, anything about it and to get there in time... It’s a panic dream.
And I say I used to have the exam dream, because recently it has changed into the preaching dream! Yes I’m told I’m preaching about 5 minutes before the service starts and I don’t even know what Bible passage it’s on... I wake up sweating, and with my heart pounding. Because I’m NOT READY.
ARE YOU READY?
This Advent Sunday evening, the obvious question is, are you ready for Christmas? There are 3 and half weeks to go, and plenty to do. Cards to write, presents to buy, food to bake, get togethers to organise, homes to decorate, and so on. ARE YOU READY for all the Christmas festivities?
I should think the answer is, no you’re not, but that you do know how to get ready for them in time for Christmas Day. Whether you’ll be getting it all done in good time or someone who thrives on last minute activity, you’ll be ready for Christmas.
But what about getting ready spiritually, giving time and thought to the amazing truth we celebrate at Christmas. The familiar Christmas story that most of us have heard many times before, that the Almighty God who created the universe became a vulnerable little baby. Jesus, born to be our Saviour. Born to die for us, 30 years later, so that we can be reconciled with God for now and for ever. What a wonderful truth that we celebrate at Christmas! Getting ready for it spiritually means making time & space to wonder and appreciate and maybe question and respond to the marvellous truth that we celebrate at Christmas time.
Getting ready spiritually might mean spending extra time reading, mulling over and praying over the readings we’ve heard tonight. Or it might mean using 1 of the many books of daily Advent Bible readings and prayers – I’ve a couple here if anyone wants to borrow one, one by Delia Smith, the other by St John’s College Nottingham.
Or if you’re on the internet, the Church of England has a website for Advent called Why are we waiting.com, an online Advent calendar with daily Advent reflections.
I particularly like its slogan: READY, STEADY... SLOW! Now there’s a thought – in the midst of the rush to get everything ready in time for Christmas, how about we go READY, STEADY... SLOW! How about we make moments of SLOW, to think and ponder our response to the Christmas truths about the baby born in a stable...
So, WILL YOU BE READY for Christmas?
But as well as preparing for Jesus’ first coming that we celebrate at Christmas,
on Advent Sunday, another ‘ARE YOU READY?’ question is traditionally asked: ARE YOU READY for Jesus to return?
In the passage we’ve just heard from Matthew’s gospel, Jesus challenges his listeners to be ready for his unexpected return. In fact the whole of chapters 24 and 25 are all about this. You might like to read them through during the week. Although we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, it’s clear that one day God will draw history as we know it to a close, and make a new earth, which will have Jesus centre stage. Jesus will return to judge and rule this new earth.
And the question is, ARE YOU READY? for Jesus’ return?
Let’s look at what Jesus says about all this in the 2 parables of our gospel reading.
The first is about a thief breaking into a house at night. The home owner doesn’t know when the thief is coming, doesn’t keep watch for him, and is caught out. Jesus says his return will be just as much a surprise.
We know that we need to always shut our windows and lock our front door when we go out, or set our burglar alarm if we have one. We know we have to do it every time because we don’t know when a burglar might try and break in.
We can’t see the future. Some things we can predict with accuracy, like the tides, but there are many others we can’t. Will it snow on Christmas Day? Who will win the next world cup?
And so it is with Jesus’ return. When will it happen? We do not know, we cannot know and we don’t need to know. What matters is that it will happen.
And if it doesn’t happen in our lifetime, we’ll meet Jesus as judge and king anyway. None of us knows for sure quite when we’ll face our death; that too could be any day. And living ready for Jesus’ return is the same way as living ready to meet him when we die.
So HOW are we to be ready, how are we to prepare? That’s what the second parable addresses. It’s about someone who goes away, leaving a chief servant in charge of his entire household. That servant might be good, and look after his master’s affairs responsibly and well, in which case the master will be very pleased on his return. Or the chief servant might be bad and irresponsible, getting drunk and beating his fellow servants. If the master returns to find him doing that, he’ll chuck him out and punish him. So the chief servant should carry out his responsibilities just as if his master was going to return at any time.
And as followers of Jesus, that’s what we’re to do. We’re to live in such a way that we wouldn’t have to change a thing if Jesus returned any minute now, as indeed he might.
After the 2 parables we’ve read tonight, Jesus tells another 3 in a row, which make clear what it means to be ready for his return and how we’re to live until then. In the story of the 10 virgins, we are taught that every person is responsible for his or her own spiritual condition. The story of the talents shows the necessity of using well what God has entrusted to us. The parable of the sheep and goats stresses the importance of serving others in need. No one parable by itself completely describes how we’re to live ready. Each one paints one part of the whole picture.
So, I wonder how we do on each of them.
Do we take responsibility for ourselves spiritually? Do we put time and energy and the number one priority into our relationship with God? Or does He get squeezed into Sunday worship only? Or does talking with and listening to him in prayer and reading the Bible get pushed out by other demands?
Do we think God can wait until later? Later may never come!
So do we take responsibility for ourselves spiritually, now?...
From the parable of the talents, we might ask ourselves,
Do we use well what God has entrusted to us?
Our talents, and skills, our personalities, the wonderful ways God has designed each of us to be? Whatever it is that we’re good at – do we use that well, for God?
Do we use well the time God has entrusted to us?
Do we waste too much time on our own pleasure, rather selfishly?
Or maybe the opposite: do we resent how little time we have to ourselves or to relax?
Do we use our time well, for God?
Do we use well the relationships God has entrusted to us?As friends, spouses, parents, grandparents, grown up children?
Are there relationships we take for granted, where we habitually lose our temper, or take advantage, or lack humility or compassion?...
Do we use well the money God has entrusted to us, in how we spend or save or give it away?
Indeed, do we use well ALL that God has entrusted to us? ...
And from the final parable, do we serve others in need?
Looking at you, I know lots of you do, in all sorts of ways. At Christmas there are lots of opportunities to support all sorts of good causes, near and far, with our time, money, other gifts.
These are just a few examples of how we are to live ready.
In my exam dream, I know that the outcome of the exam depends not just on the day, but on the work I’ve (not) done over weeks and months beforehand. That’s why it’s a nightmare, because I’ve not done it! In the same way, not thinking about Jesus’ return and just hoping it’ll be alright on the night won’t work. No, we need to live as Jesus wants, all the time. It’s a long term, every day thing. Just as we can’t become well prepared for an exam in half an hour, so we will only be ready for Jesus to return by living as he wants, living God’s way consistently, day in, day out.
Living as he wants at work. Living as he wants at home.
Living as he wants with our money. Living as he wants with our time...
When we think about Jesus’ surprise return to judge and rule, we need to do so remembering God’s love and forgiveness which is freely on offer. None of us will meet his standard, all of us have times when we fail, times when we don’t live just as we would want him to find us. But that’s why the news of Jesus birth at Christmas, that he was born to die for us, is such wonderful news! It means we can be forgiven and accepted, and given a fresh start.
Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean we’ll always get everything right, but that we quickly discover where we’re going wrong and say sorry and turn around to change and live differently, thanks to God’s love and forgiveness .
So, ARE YOU READY?
Let’s get ready. Let’s spend Advent in the READY STEADY SLOW! way, learning to live as Jesus wants, becoming people who live ready for Jesus’ return.
So let’s pray...
Dear God, thank you for the wonderful birth of your Son Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas. This Advent, please help us spot the ways we can take moments of SLOW to appreciate this, and learn how to live ready for your return. Thru Christ our Lord, Amen.
posted by Parish Administrator at 5:33 pm
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