Minister’s Blog – Advent 2017

I am sure that over Christmas in many homes games will be played. Are you a games lover, or a games hater? What are the games that as a family you play every year? What games do you remember playing as a child?

In the game hide and seek, when the seeker is ready to go and find the person they are looking for they shout – “Coming ready or not”.  At Christmas we of course are celebrating the coming of Jesus into the world.  The season of advent helps us to prepare ourselves for this coming, during this time we will think not just about Jesus coming in the past (The first Christmas), but also about how one day He will come again.  The question is will we be ready or not?

How does that make us feel? Do we spend very much time thinking about His second coming? How does this impact our everyday lives? It is only when we have asked Jesus into our hearts, and come in to a relationship with Him that we can even begin to think about our own readiness for His return.

In the first chapter John’s gospel it says,

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

As we think of the excitement, wonder, revelation and amazement that accompanied Jesus’ birth, this Christmastime let us prepare ourselves to receive Him again. I would encourage you to put the words of one of our carols into action in the midst of all the busy-ness of getting ready for Christmas;

Joy to the World, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing!

Rev. Chris Hawley

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