Advent Sunday, 30^th November: Mark Ch 13 v 24     

Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come.

In other words, get ready, and today the Church celebrates the near year, not the year 2009, but the new church year, and we celebrate it by preparing ourselves for Christmas. So if we are celebrating why the purple vestments, why the penitential liturgy - more or less the same as we use in Lent.

My next statement will probably come as no surprise to many of you – I don’t like housework, and consequently I don’t like having to spring clean, but it has to be done. A few cobwebs may be alright, but when I look deeper into the corners it is obvious that something needs to be done, particularly when there is some special event ahead, when I want everything to look good, to be good. And I think this is surely the same with Advent, we need Advent to get ourselves in order.

For as I can somewhat drift along with housework in the summer so it is easy to drift through Trinity, to let things become routine, to stop asking ourselves if we are worthy of Christmas. So in Advent we are being asked to search ourselves out; that we have to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ, we have to be ready. We need to dig deep into the deep corners of our souls, through the cobwebs into the grime.

In Advent we are ’stirred up’ for it is the season of hope, waiting and longing. Waiting for the coming of the Messiah. And to help us remember we light the Advent Candle. It is circular to symbolize the never ending and the eternity of God who is, was and always will be. Evergreens are an ancient symbol of immortality, life, growth and everlasting love of God. The light is to remind us of God's presence and that darkness its opposite, is a symbol of his absence. Then each week we light a candle showing us moving from darkness to light.

In the reading Jesus began by saying ‘take heed, watch, for you do not know when the time will come.’ He is telling us to wait, to be watchful, to be hopeful, to be ready for his return, not half asleep so we miss it.

So Christ is not talking about to us just about preparing for Christmas, certainly not the type of preparation which signifies preparation in this country. He is not talking about making sure we have the turkey, the presents, the drink, he is talking about being prepared for when we meet his face to face.

He is preparing the disciples for the fact that he will be leaving them, that he is leaving the world in their care, and the care of future generations of believers. Like a landowner putting servants in charge of the house while away; and telling each one what they should be doing. And what are they told - they are told of the need to be vigilant in their duties, the doorkeeper must keep watch day and night ,must not fall asleep, so that the moment the landowner returns the door can be immediately opened wide in welcome.

‘Watch, be awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, at dawn, or in the morning, he mustn’t return suddenly and find you asleep’. Sleep is a symbolic word for being

unprepared. It means one is indifferent and unconcerned. Jesus preached this parable as an indication that he would return, and that his work should be continued until his return. And is very reminiscent of what was to happen in the garden of Gethsemane, when the disciples fell asleep.

So was this message just for the disciples, just for the church of 2,000 years ago, or is it for us today. It is no longer a message for the disciples, they have done their bit, it is now a message for us here today. So we need to think- are we more alert than the disciples, do we understand the second coming better, are we prepared. Or indeed will we recognise Christ when we meet him, or like the Pharisees and Sadducees will be so confident in our personal interpretation of the scriptures that we will miss him?

He is coming again in that we can be sure, but when that is remains a mystery he says: ‘of that hour and that day no one knows, only the Father in heaven.’

What are we expecting? Another baby, again born into poverty; some form of hero, exuding wealth and power. Are we waiting for his coming only at the end of our time, or the end of all time? Or do we sense he comes at all times in many surprising ways, do we sense some powerful awareness, something we cannot see, but are aware of - an overwhelming feeling that we are being supported, that someone is guiding us, supporting us, loving us. What is our vision?

As the wise men brought him gifts at Epiphany, Christ comes now when we give gifts of kindness, love and compassion. He comes now on a cross when we relive his passion during Lent, he comes as we relive his resurrection during Easter.

Through out the year he comes in the word as we listen to the Gospel readings. Each Sunday he comes in bread and wine as he welcomes us at his table.

He still reaches out to the sick and lonely, the lost and vulnerable, through us, the church, as we become his body here on earth now.

He comes in many mysterious and wondrous ways, he never leaves us, but do we see him - are we ready and waiting? Are we always ready to welcome him into our lives? And perhaps this year the Church can really get the message across. For you say people saying ‘there is no money, Christmas will not be the same.’

In four weeks time we will have a crib at the back of Church, there will be the animals, Mary and Joseph, but it will not be complete until Jesus arrives on Christmas Day, there can be no crib without Jesus, there can be no Christmas without Christ. And this I believe is what Advent is preparing us to understand, and the message we must give to society.

If we are having a wedding in the family, a large celebration, we pull out all the stops, we prepare ourselves fully, we spring clean, we make sure there are no dark corners which are not clean. So how much more do we need to prepare ourselves to meet Christ, to cleanse ourselves of all that separates us from his love, to be truly prepared to welcome him and indeed to recognise him. If we are not prepared for his arrival we will miss out, we will be the losers.

Stir up, Lord, my will when it becomes weak, and set me back on the right patch when I go astray. Keep me vigilant for the signs of your presence and the voice of your calling, so that I shall not be found inattentive and absorbed in my own concerns when you have work for me to do. Amen