Sunday 08 December 2024 is the Second Sunday in Advent.

The main theme for this Sunday in Advent is “Peace”. We light our second Advent candle.

Today’s service is led by Rev. Anne-Marie Simpson.

We are thinking today about “Messengers”.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, in the Church, we often talk about people called “Prophets”.

Prophets were people who God spoke to directly. God gave them a message and then wanted the Prophet to take the message to the people – so that the people would know what God wanted them to do.

BUT – the people did not normally want to hear God’s message. And the people were often very nasty to the Prophets.

Sometimes, that’s because the people were scared by the message relayed to them by the Prophets. On other occasions, the people were angry at being criticised for their “bad behaviour”. At other times, the people did not believe the Prophet’s message – to the extent that they would laugh at the message apparently sent from God.

Most of the time, being a Prophet was a pretty awful job. They would carry out God’s will because it was God who was asking them – but, even then, sometimes God had to force the Prophet to do what God wanted.

One bit of news that various Prophets brought to the people over and over again was that God would send a Saviour.

For example, from today’s Lectionary:

Malachi 3:1-4 (From The Message Bible Translation)

The Master You’ve Been Looking For
3 “Look! I’m sending my messenger on ahead to clear the way for me. Suddenly, out of the blue, the Leader you’ve been looking for will enter his Temple—yes, the Messenger of the Covenant, the one you’ve been waiting for. Look! He’s on his way!” A Message from the mouth of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

2-4 But who will be able to stand up to that coming? Who can survive his appearance?

He’ll be like white-hot fire from the smelter’s furnace. He’ll be like the strongest lye soap at the laundry. He’ll take his place as a refiner of silver, as a cleanser of dirty clothes. He’ll scrub the Levite priests clean, refine them like gold and silver, until they’re fit for God, fit to present offerings of righteousness. Then, and only then, will Judah and Jerusalem be fit and pleasing to God, as they used to be in the years long ago.

This is an important element of the many reasons why Christians believe Christianity to be “true”.

In other words, the fact that Jesus was long-awaited and long-foretold.

When Jesus arrived, he did not behave as the people had anticipated (i.e. as a great warrior who would sweep all enemies aside). Instead, he came to heal the rift between God and his people and make us right with God again. God wanted to show through Jesus that God’s Kingdom was indeed “at hand”.

Video recording of today’s service

The all-age address in the service begins here.

The main sermon begins here.