Sunday

Advent is the season of the year full of expectation and surprises.

It started with Mary expecting a baby and she believed that baby would be special. Every parent knows the anticipation, in my day to know if it was a boy or a girl, but these days all the clothes are bought the right colour before the birth. But still there is the excitement of discovering about this brand new little person, absolutely unique and totally loved by God.

So Mary lived with expectation of what this baby would be, what would be special about its life? I wonder how she would have reacted if she had known that the babe she bore would be crucified among thieves. But I wonder how many times parents have simply got on with bringing up a child, because if they had known what was to happen to the child they could not have carried on.

So expectations often are not lived up to and we finish up disappointed.

So with the excitement of Advent, what are we excited about?

As a child perhaps looking forward to presents.

As an adult perhaps to the parties or being with the family.

But by 27th December it will be over and forgotten and it's get on with the boredom of life.

I don't believe that to be true if we anticipate that this is the celebration for the birth of God's son. A child, a man coming to show us how God really loves us and wants us to bask in that love, and to do so we need to find that child today. He is in those who suffer, those who are marginalised, the children who are hungry and those in pain. Find him there, love him there and your expectations will be fulfilled, pressed down and running over.

Prepare for Christmas