Sunday 9 December 2023

Today is Sunday the 9th of December, the second Sunday of Advent.


Eliza King sings, ‘Come Thou Long Expected Jesus’.

Come, thou long expected Jesus
Born to set thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in thee
Israel's strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart
Born thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now thy gracious kingdom bring
By thine own eternal spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne




Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

Comfort, O comfort my people,
 says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
 and cry to her
that she has served her term,
 that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
 double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
 make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
 and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
 and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
 and all people shall see it together,
 for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
Get you up to a high mountain,
 O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
 O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
 lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
 ‘Here is your God!’
See, the Lord God comes with might,
 and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
 and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
 he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
 and gently lead the mother sheep.

We begin this second week of Advent with readings from Isaiah’s ‘Book of Consolation’. What is your immediate response to this passage?

Imagine the people of Jerusalem in exile, waiting for liberation and comfort, weighed down by fear and longing.

How might this resonate with your own experience? Have you ever felt spiritually ‘exiled’? How did that feel?

‘A voice cries…’ the voice reminds us of John the Baptist and the promise of the Saviour. In Advent, many voices cry out, calling for attention, for action.

In the busyness of life, whose voices do you hear at this time?

Today, we might roll out a red carpet, but it would not be long enough for this path. Here the Lord will cross the valleys and mountains of the world, and all the people will be witnesses.

Consider what mountains or rough places in your own life may need to be levelled and made straight?

This is a time of hope, of optimism. We are called, in our daily lives, be a voice that lifts people's spirits and points them towards God's presence.

As you hear the passage again, hear the joyful proclamation and reflect on how can you be a messenger of hope and comfort to those around you.

“He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms,”

On this Sabbath day we are called by the Lamb of God and given the image of God as a shepherd who tends to His flock. We are not called to do everything ourselves, we are not meant to be overcome by busyness.

Does God's gentleness and care resonate with your own experiences?

In this time of prayer, allow God to gather you in His arms and lead you gently, sharing your thoughts and needs with the Shepherd of your life.

O Wisdom,
Lord and Ruler,
Root of Jesse,
Key of David,
Rising Sun,
King of the Nations,
Emmanuel.
Come, Lord Jesus.