25th December Christmas Day

The magnitude of meekness: the strength of weakness

Christopher Smart 1722-1771

Conrad Susa 1935-2013

Several notable musicians died in 2013 – for example Van Cliburn, Risë Stevens, Sir Colin Davis and Sir John Tavener. Less well known is the composer Conrad Susa who died on 21^st November. Mr. Susa set some words of Christopher Smart, the 18^th century poet, to a tune called Mariposa. The combination of text and music is very powerful, beautiful and thought provoking.  Smart states clearly “the paradoxes of Christian doctrine” (Roger Miller in Worship Arts, Sept./Oct. 2009).

Where is this stupendous stranger?
Gentle shepherd now, advise.
Lead me to my Master's manger,
show me where my Saviour lies.
O Most Mighty! O Most Holy!
Far beyond the seraph's thought,
art thou then so weak and lowly
as unheeded prophets taught?

O the magnitude of meekness!
Worth from worth immortal sprung;
O the strength of infant weakness,
if eternal is so young!
God all bounteous, all creative,
whom no ills from good dissuade,
is incarnate, and a native
of the very world he made.

David Brown  

Tuesday 24th December (Christmas Eve) Stand Firm

Revelation 1: 1-8

John wrote Revelation from the island of Patmos. This was a Roman prison colony and John was probably banished there for life. We might compare Nelson Mandela on Robben Island. 

Revelation was written during the reign of Domitian, an emperor who liked to be called “Lord and god”. The Roman Empire was known as “the eternal empire”. Christians were routinely persecuted and could be executed for failing to join in the emperor cult.

The book of Revelation is resistance literature. It reminds Christians that the true king is God and that Jesus Christ is his Son. And whilst Christians must be prepared for the worst they are to stand firm knowing that the best will triumph. The true king “is coming on the clouds and every eye will see him” (verse 7).  

Advent deals with strong themes: persecution, suffering, endurance, hope. 80% of all victims of religious persecution today are Christian. Very sadly, in many parts of the oriental world where the early church was strongest, Christian populations are now tiny. So as we prepare for the annual celebration of Christ’s birth, we pray that those who are persecuted because they worship Jesus may have courage to stand firm and know our support and concern.

Que ceux persécutés pour leur foi, garder une forte espérance en Jésus.

Robert Innes

Monday 23rd December Interfaith dialogue

              

Psalm 144

Canadian worship leader and song-writer Brian Doerksen's "Fortress 144" is punchy in a way that his more usual ballads are not.

I took this worship song along to our home group one evening, as we were sharing inspirational music with each other. "Fortress 144" (based on Psalm 144) is not only inspirational, in my view, but also great music.

We played it through and I went over some of the words afterwards. We had with us that evening a person of Muslim origin keen to learn more about the Christian faith. When I read out "send down lightening from on high, scatter all who would oppose your light" from the song, he started slightly.

I was perplexed. On the one hand, here was a song whose words and music stirred the soul – but which also embarrassed our Muslim friend.

What to do? Share a difficult truth and risk alienation? Or demur into safe territory and not address the Gospel's challenges?

I decided that I should take inspiration from Ecc. 3 v 1 and acknowledge that there is "a time for everything". I would address the Gospel with my Muslim friend in the right (Spirit-led) circumstances. But there are times when it would not be appropriate to do this. I think that playing "Fortress 144" that evening was probably not appropriate, and I regretted my insensitivity.

But God knows all these things thankfully…. Better next time…

.

Est-ce la façon de témoigner votre foi à un musulman?

Sue Bird

Sunday 22nd December (Advent 4) Nothing is impossible with God

Luke 1: 39-55

The angel said to Mary, "Nothing is impossible with God."

Immediately after the encounter with the angel, Mary took the time to visit and communicate with her relative, Elisabeth.  Elisabeth was overcome with inexpressible joy and was in absolute awe that the mother of her Lord should come and visit her. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, she cried out "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear." She felt unworthy and yet at the same time was full of gratitude to her God who had blessed her abundantly. They were both filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Elisabeth's baby leaped for joy and Mary's song was all about giving glory to God. She also acknowledged His mighty power and His endless mercy to those who follow Him.

Elisabeth was blessed as she believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from her Lord.

As it says in Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Priscilla Stairs

Saturday 21st December The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Matthew 18:21-35

The amount of debt the king cancels (and likewise the amount the servant doesn’t cancel) has a challenge for any Bible translator. Use a specific monetary conversion and it will soon go out of date. Each version tries a different approach. The King James’ “ten thousand talents” is of course the most literal, but who today knows what a talent is? The NIV tries “ten thousand bags of gold” and covers all bases with the footnote “Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages”. The GNB tries “millions of dollars”.

Imagine for a moment that you were landed with a debt of millions of Euros. Could you pay it?

We come before God as those who have a debt of sin so great, that we are completely unable to pay.

But God so loved us, so loved you, so loved me, that he gave his only Son, that all who believe in him, might have this sin forgiven. Truly love comes down at Christmas time.

Hugh Prior 

Friday 20th December Le néant des richesses/The nothingness of wealth

Psalm 49

Psaumes 49

Comment tu te sens  aujourd’hui ? Quel est l'objectif de ta vie ? Quel est ta mission ici dans ce monde ?

 En général, nous nous sentons heureux dans ce monde, nous mangeons tout ce que nous voulons, nous disposons des biens ; des maisons, des belles voitures, des bons habits,…..

Aller prier en Église,  lire les chapitres,  chanter à la chorale sont devenu aussi des habitudes .Les biens dont nous disposons nous aveuglent et nous empêchent de voir pour donner sens à notre vie. Ainsi nous oublions même que les jours de notre sur cette terre sont comptés pour faire l’essentiel.

Que tu sois riche ou pauvre, petit ou grand, tu n’échapperas pas  à la mort !

 Écoutons ce que nous dit le psaume 49 et tirons- en une leçon personnelle.

 Réveille- toi et demandes à Dieu la grâce d’avoir une autre vision sur ta vie !

L’intelligence est de préparer notre vie éternelle, en pratiquant le  commandement de Dieu.

L’intelligence est de glorifier son Sauveur  dans ton cœur partout où tu es ! (au travail, dans ta maison, entrain de cuisine ou de nettoyer, dans la rue, etc. …)

L’intelligence est de se donner des objectifs  et les mettre en pratique.

L’intelligence est de bien accomplir sa mission ici dans ce monde.

Fais-le dès aujourd’hui puisque tu ne connais pas ce qui t’adviendra  demain.

M. Frieda Mukanyangezi

Thursday 19th December Christian values

Zephaniah 1:1-2:3

Zephaniah calls on the humble – the poor and dispossessed – to obey the Lord’s commands and seek righteousness and humility. He contrasts this with his earlier warning of the dramatic consequences for the “shameful nation” – the organised state and its pride in the face of God’s anger.  It is not the nation state which will ultimately be saved, but there is always room for God's mercy on those individuals who seek Him in humility. In this we find an echo of the beatitudes: Zephaniah turns worldly values on their heads, just as the lowly circumstances of the birth of Jesus lead us to reconsider our own values in comparison with those of earthly powers.

Guy Milton

Wednesday 18th December Peace

Psalm 122 & Isaiah 39

Psalm 122

As we celebrate Christmas, we are reminded that in Isaiah 9 v 6, Jesus is called ‘Prince of Peace.’ It’s easy to look at the world and the lives of those around us and see strife, anxiety and brokenness. Yet, we know that we can trust in a God who is good and longs to bring peace, reconciliation and healing.

Within our city, there will be many for which the Christmas season is far from peaceful. This passage is a reminder to pray for God to draw near to them.

In verse 9, David writes, ‘For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.’ When we have God’s spirit dwelling in our hearts we can bring his peace into everyday situations around us; through prayer, the words we speak and our actions towards others.

Jessica Miller

Isaiah 39

Hezekiah like getting gifts... when the Babylonian king sent him a special gift he was delighted and wanted to show off all the other gifts and possessions he had accumulated - his royal treasures.  But Isaiah the prophet warns him that the treasures will not last - that they will be carried off and he will be left with nothing.

During advent we spend a lot of our time thinking about gifts - what to give each other, our families and what we would like to be given.  Yet all those treasures mean nothing if we see them as greater than the greatest treasure of them all - Jesus.  Jesus will not be carried away from us by another king - he will remain with us always and it is through Jesus that peace and security will be given, not in possessions and gifts.

Heather Roy

Photographs © 2008 Michael Collopy

Tuesday 17th December Await His Coming with Joy, Faith, Patience and Diligence

Matthew17:1-13

1 Thessalonians 5:12-end

“How long, O Lord?” is a theme of many of the Psalms, and for many of us this anguished cry will at times have been ours too; on the other hand mountain-top experiences that recall the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration will also have been known to many of us.

Yet as Peter and John, alone with Jesus on the mountain, soon learned, such experiences are rapidly followed by the often grinding trials and, let’s face it, drudgery down in the valley below; and one of life’s greatest challenges is keeping in our field of vision that seemingly distant yet ever-approaching Light as we labour for the Kingdom, often unnoticed, uncelebrated and un-thanked, in an unending stream of tasks that at the time seem commonplace and inconsequential. Yet such tasks are - if we faithfully pray day by day for His light on every detail of our path (Psalm119:105) and always have a song of thanks in our hearts - at least as divinely-ordained as those (for most of us) much rarer moments when all eyes seem to be on us. Besides, we cannot know when the Lord will call us home and we should live each day as if it were our last, regularly recalling Peter’s reminder that one day in the Lord’s sight is as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years as one day…….

Simon Robbins

Monday 16th December I waited patiently for the Lord

Psalm 40

‘Waiting patiently’ for anything is not something that comes easily in modern Western culture to adults, let alone to children in the run up to Christmas! But someone recently told me that if I wanted to improve my prayer life I should always choose the longest queue at the supermarket checkout.

 We no longer value time spent on the daily necessities of life and the casual human interactions that can be associated with them. Instinctively we avoid anything and anyone that might ‘delay’ us in our headlong rush – for what? What are we saving the time for that being in such a hurry is supposed to achieve? Does it give us more time in the Lord’s presence?

The Psalmist David testifies that it was only after he ‘waited patiently for the Lord’ that he came to experience God’s blessing. Maybe it’s worth giving this positive waiting a try?

« En attendant patiemment» pour n’importe quel chose n'est pas quelque chose qui vient facilement dans la culture occidentale moderne pour adultes, et encore moins pour les enfants à l'approche des fêtes de Noël! Mais récemment, quelqu'un m'a dit que si je voulais améliorer ma vie de prière, je dois toujours choisir la file d'attente la plus longue à la caisse du supermarché.

Nous ne valorisons plus le temps passé sur les nécessités de la vie quotidienne et les interactions humaines occasionnelles qui peuvent être associés avec eux. Instinctivement, nous évitons n'importe quoi et n'importe qui que pourrait nous «retarder» dans notre fuite en avant - pour quoi? Que faisons-nous économisons du temps pour que d'être dans une telle hâte est censé atteindre? Est-ce que cela nous donne plus de temps dans la présence du Seigneur?

Le psalmiste David témoigne que c'est seulement après qu'il «attendait patiemment le Seigneur» qu'il venait de faire l'expérience de la bénédiction de Dieu. Sûrement cela vaut le coup d’essayer cette discipline de patience devant le Seigneur cet Avent ?

David Fieldsend

Sunday 15th December (Advent 3) Be happy! Wees blij !

Philippians  4: 4-7

That’s the title the Street Bible gives to the short bible reading and I believe this to be true. We should be happy, because God is with us and flows through us. Personally I find that I should follow this passage in my life more. To be more exact, I need to communicate with God more by prayer, to release myself from stress as it says in the Street Bible. The translation of verse 7 in the NIV struck me quite a bit, because this is a verse that usually gets said at the end of a service. It made me think and realise how wonderful God’s peace really is. According to the NIV it transcends all understanding, but I find that the Street Bible gives a better visualisation by stating that even medics can’t work it out. So therefore go in peace and revel in the Lord!

Filippenzen 4: 4-7

Dit is de titel dat de Straatbijbel aan deze korte lezing geeft. Ikzelf geloof dat dit waar is. We moeten gelukkig zijn, want God is met ons en vloeit doorheen ons. Persoonlijk vind ik dat ik deze passage meer moet volgen in mijn leven. Meer bepaald, ik moet meer communiceren met God door te bidden, mezelf vrijmaken van stress zoals het in de Straatbijbel staat. De vertaling van vers 7 in de NIV raakte me nogal wat, omdat dit een vers is dat vaak op het einde van een dienst gezegd wordt. Het zette me aan het denken en ik realiseerde hoe schitterend de vrede van God werkelijk is. Volgens de NIV gaat deze alle verstand te boven, maar ik vind dat de Straatbijbel een betere visualisatie geeft namelijk dat geen enkele geneesheer het kan uitleggen. Dus daarom ga in vrede en verheug in de Heer.

Jenny Freeman

Saturday 14th December Offer praises

Psalm 145

“David does not so much tell what he would do himself, as stir up and urge all others to this religious service of offering to God the praises due to his name.

The design with which he declares God to be beneficent to the children of men is, to induce them to cultivate a pious gratitude, he insists upon the necessity of persevering in the exercise; for since God is constant in extending mercies, it would be highly improper in us to faint in his praises. As he thus gives his people new ground for praising him, so he stimulates them to gratitude, and to exercise it throughout the whole course of their life. In using the term daily, he denotes perseverance in the exercise. Afterwards he adds, that should he live through a succession of ages he would never cease to act in this manner. The repetitions used tend very considerably to give emphasis to his language. As it is probable that the Psalm was written at a time when the kingdom of David was in a flourishing condition, the circumstances deserve notice, that in calling God his King he gives both himself and other earthly princes their proper place, and does not allow any earthly distinctions to interfere with the glory due to God.

This is made still more manifest in the verse which follows, where in speaking of the greatness of God as unmeasurable, he intimates that we only praise God aright when we are filled and overwhelmed with an ecstatic admiration of the immensity of his power.

This admiration will form the fountain from which our just praises of him will proceed, according the measure of our capacity.” (John Calvin, 1509-1564)

Il est probable que le Psaume 145 fut écrit à une époque ou le royaume de David était florissant, ce qu'il vaut bien souligner. Puisqu'il appelle Dieu son Roi, David se remet à sa place lui même et remet à leur place les autres princes du monde, n'étant pas admis que les distinctions de la terre puissent interférer avec la gloire due à Dieu.

Stefano Lo Presti

Friday 13th December Gathering the broken

Matthew 15: 29-end

It’s satisfying and pleasant when everything is going right with God.  We can feel like the 4000, being fed by Jesus.  But sometimes God seems to become remote; we feel cut off and empty. It is then that we need to seek out what Mark calls ‘the broken pieces’.

If we look carefully, we may find enough crumbs from God, which, brought together, can add up to a satisfying spiritual meal.  Jesus, at the end of the picnic, carefully gathered the ‘broken pieces’ and put them together in a safe place. How can we do the same?

Ann Milton

Thursday 12th December The Merciful Lord

Psalm 130

It is not too difficult to flick through the Bible -- the Old Testament in particular -- and find words about God’s anger and jealousy and how He will wreak vengeance on all those who turn from Him.

In that same journey through the Bible, however, we also come across many wonderful verses that remind us of God’s mercy, His all-consuming love. Psalm 130 is one of those moments of fresh air: we are reminded that if God wished to keep tally of all our sins, not one of us would be left standing. This God who is to be feared is a God of unfailing love who will redeem us from our sins and in whom we can hope.

Der Herr sei uns gnädig.

Naomi Brown 

Wednesday 11th December Expectation

Isaiah 31

This passage from Isaiah could very easily read another way: “Woe to those trust and hope in human beings rather than God; woe to those who do not seek after God, the one who is able to save and to redeem all who are lost and distressed.” During Advent, let us remember to wait for the God who can save, who has saved and will saved. Let us wait and expect God to show up in our lives. Let us seek the One who is coming, Jesus Christ. This Advent, today, ask yourself in what areas of life you need to wait for God, to acknowledge that God is the one who saves, and pray that the Spirit gives you the peace to do just that.

Jeremy Heuslein

Tuesday 10th December Keep your eyes on Jesus

Matthew 14:13-36

Many of us yearn for calm in our busy lives and space to reflect, especially when touched by strong emotions. The news of John the Baptist’s death must have been terrible news for Jesus to hear. He set out to be alone. But he arrived to find more crowds of people, who had followed him by foot into a remote place, hungry to see and hear him… and by the end of the day hungry also for food.

Even when the disciples proposed to send them home, Jesus combined compassion with miracle, healing them and feeding them.

Later, after finally finding the prayer-space he was seeking, Jesus then reconfirmed his divine power to his disciples in dramatic fashion. Walking on water, he had mastery over the element which held constant fear and danger for his fisherman friends.

As we contemplate these two incidents together in Advent, we strive to reach out to others in constant compassion, even in our tired and busy moments. And Peter teaches us that to do this without sinking, we’ll need to keep our eyes not on the stormy sea around us, but on Jesus.

Mags Bird

Monday 9th December The faith of the church

1 Thessalonians 1

This epistle begins with an outburst of great thanks from the hearts of the Lord’s ministers for the faith of his congregation:

thanks for the works their faith has produced,

thanks for their ceaseless labour of love,

thanks that no one needs to be told about their faith,

because everyone can see it for themselves (v 3, 8).

How thankful he must be when he looks down and sees the great love he has for his church reflected in her love for him: reflected not only in words but in everything she does, and not only does but does with the deepest conviction.

For the gospel has come to her not just with words, but with power, with the Spirit, with deep conviction (v 5 NIV) – with much assurance (KJV).

And so, deeply convicted of – much assured of – his great purposes of love, her love for him is clear to everyone:

she has turned from loving idols to loving him (v 9),

she has turned from looking down to looking up (v 10),

waiting for him with the conviction and assurance of certain faith.

James Pitts

Sunday 8th December (Advent 2) Be still

Psalm 4

Advent is a time of deep reflexion on our own lives and on the birth of our Saviour. A moment when one recalls that one is a Christian, when one is spiritually uplifted and remembers the importance of prayer in daily life. Advent  seems a quiet period of prayer even though everybody gets carried away with the sometimes stressing spirit of Christmas.

“Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord” says psalm 4.

Never are we completely alone. It is a great comfort to know that there always is an ear to hear the meditations of our hearts.  May we all during this Advent, remember in our prayers and thoughts those who are less fortunate than ourselves, those who are not able to spend Christmas with their families and friends and all those who are not enjoying the freedom and peace that God gave us.

L’Avent est une période de mure réflexion sur nos vies et la naissance de notre Sauveur. Un moment où l’on se souvient que l’on est Chrétien, ou l’on est emporté spirituellement et où l’on prend conscience de l’importance de la prière dans notre quotidien. L’Avent semble parfois une période calme malgré le fait que l’on soit tous emportés dans le tourbillon de Noël souvent stressant.

“Parlez dans votre cœur, sur votre lit, et faites silence. Offrez des sacrifices conformes à la justice et confiez-vous en l’Eternel” nous dit le Psaume 4.

Jamais ne sommes nous totalement seuls. C’est un grand réconfort d’avoir la certitude qu’il y a toujours une oreille qui prête attention à nos prières et aux méditations de nos cœurs. Puissions-nous tous pendent cette période de l’Avent se souvenir de ceux moins chanceux que nous, ceux qui ne peuvent passer Noël en famille, tout ceux qui ne bénéficient pas de la liberté et de la paix que Dieu nous a donné.

Happy Christmas to you all   -   Joyeux Noël à tous,

Julian Boutique

Saturday 7th December A window to the kingdom

Matthew 13.44-end

Immediately before Advent, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. Anglicans borrowed this feast as recently as 2000 from the Roman Catholic Church, which introduced the festival in 1925 with Pius XI's encyclical Quas Primas. "Christ the King" has had an unhappy history in Belgium, with Léon Degrelle's Rexiste movement in the 1930s, rooted in Quas Primas, espousing an anti-democratic, fascist vision of society - the Rexistes went on to collaborate with the Nazis during the German occupation of Belgium in WW2. (An excellent novel, liked by both Robert Innes and me, which touches on these themes is Hugo Claus' The Sorrow of Belgium.) As usual, the Gospels are one step ahead of the Church's official pronouncements. In this passage, Jesus does not speak about himself as a king - he never does this: it is always others who call him king, often sarcastically, as at his crucifixion. Instead, Jesus teaches us about the kingdom: the kingdom is a place of rare treasure, a pearl of great price, a net which gathers fish of all kinds; a scribe trained for the kingdom (a reference to the existence of early Christian scribes like Matthew himself) uses treasures old and new. Our confidence in Jesus is increased because he sees himself not as an earthly potentate, nor even as a king of earthly glory like David, but as a transparent glass through which we see God's kingdom. All praise to Jesus Christ our King, through whom we see God clearly!

Jack McDonald
Canon theologian 

Friday 6th December The Tree of Healing

Revelation 21:22 - 22:5

Revelations is an underestimated and undervalued book in our day and age. We tend not to talk too much of heaven, or the end times. Perhaps it is our fear of the opposite, hell and eternal damnation, that keeps us from joyous expectance of what is to come!

Revelations 21-22 paint a wonderful picture of the fulfilment of what has been started in the order of creation. This is not the absorption of the human spirit into the vague "pudding" of eternity, but a time when the God who made us and redeemed us will raise us up again. And not only us, but the whole created order as well. This is what Paul means when he says, “The mortal puts on immortality” and that “death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor. 15:54).

At the centre of the vision starting in chapter 22 is a city which is the presence of Almighty God and the Lamb. There is a river of life and a tree with leaves for the healing of the nations. This redemption flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. It is the sign of hope. Jesus Christ is able to forgive and heal; the One who heals is the One who also reigns and, therefore, the healing of this Lamb has authority. It lasts. Jesus Christ, the Lamb/Shepherd, is able to keep His sheep to sustain them for all time. From the Garden of Eden to the City of God.

 Arttu Mäkipää 

Thursday 5th December That’s

Psalm 42

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd That’s relationship!

I shall not be in want! That’s supply

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures That’s rest

He leadeth me beside still waters That’s refreshment

He restoreth my soul That’s healing

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness That’s guidance

For his name sake That’s purpose

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death That’s testing

I will fear no evil That’s protection

For thou art with me That’s faithfulness

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me That’s discipline

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies That’s hope

Thou anointest my head with oil That’s consecration

My cup runneth over  That’s abundance

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life That’s blessing

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord That’s security

For ever  That’s eternity

Praise God

Rie Arthern

Wednesday 4th December, Adventus domini

Revelation 21: 1–8

At the end of history, at the end of his story,

The renovation works are completed.

A new heaven and a new earth:

The two are no longer separated.

God’s domain and man’s domain have been merged into the new Jerusalem.

God dwells with his children.

Note the direction:

This is not about men going to heaven.

This is not about us going anywhere.

We are not called to leave this world and find refuge in heaven.

We are waiting for the new Jerusalem to come down from heaven to earth.

God is dwelling with men.

Our world will be filled with his presence.

He is coming to join us.

He is coming.

Adventus domini.

Advent. 

Tuesday 3rd December Restore us, O God

Psalm 80:3

 Restore us, O God;

    make your face shine on us,

    that we may be saved.

O Dieu, relève-nous!

Fais briller ta face, et nous serons sauvés! Psaumes 80 :4

This is the time of year when faces to light up. Children in wonder, opening presents,

or greeting friends and family at the front door. The excitement that produces such

a demeanour is hard to fake (we’ve all seen someone try to feign enthusiasm for a

misjudged gift…). Someone ‘shining’ when they see you is a powerful comfort: it

assures you of their love and care.

The psalm writer longed that God would make his face to shine upon him, or, as

the Message translation puts it, for God to “smile that blessing smile”. God did so,

particularly through Jesus. God also gave us the Holy Spirit, the constant comforter

by whose power our own spirits can be transformed to become bright and loving.

With glowing hearts -- filled with powerfully indiscriminate love -- we can shine God’s

blessing into our social networks, workplaces and communities. Pray that God would

help us do that today.

 H

Monday 2nd December, In his name the nations will put their hope

Isaiah 25:1-9

In Brussels, we live in the centre of something built on hope; the hope that the founding fathers had, of building something new and peaceable in a Europe that had been torn apart by strife; a hope built for many of them on Christian principles.

Such a vision of hope is rooted in the scriptures and not least in passages such as Isaiah 25.

It is an Advent hope; a hope founded on God’s promises; we experience foretastes of it even in our own congregation; a hope that will be fulfilled on the Day of his coming, when “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples”.    Mount Zion, will be open to all nations and the Lord will nourish them with the best of everything.

This hope presupposes that our hope is founded upon the Lord who is a refuge for the needy, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

We are called to look forward to the Day of his coming in the sure and certain hope that death will be destroyed and tears wiped away.

In the meantime the season of Advent calls us to seek refuge in him; trusting him, the faithful God, who keeps his promise for ever.

“Surely this is our God;

we trusted in him, and he saved us.

This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

 John Wilkinson