I'm still getting the hang of this Advent thing. After years of theological education I now know it's not just an annual ritual for setting fire to children (I get adults to light the candles these days), but I've been wrestling since the last millennium with the traditional themes in the face of a culture that just wants to enjoy the rosy glow of Christmas Day a month early.

I'm particularly wrestling with the expectancy theme, as we're reenacting a sense of expectancy for a coming Saviour, who in fact (with my Advent glasses off) is already here. I suppose it's that 'different concepts of time' explanation that evaporates and stops making any kind of sense once you try to explain it. I suppose I'm also fighting against what feels like an annual piece of play acting (Where's Jesus now? You're getting warmer!), when there's actually plenty of real life to get on with.

So yesterday morning I took the story of the five foolish virgins and threw in a dose of 'Are you ready for Christmas yet' and then added to the sense of urgency by talking about hunting for the plane tickets and the out of date passport when the taxi's waiting at the door to take you to the airport. And then asked how should we really be getting ready for Christmas? What needs to be got ready in our lives? If Advent used to be a time of preparation and penitence before the feast, like Lent and Easter, what changes do we need to make before we're ready to welcome the Christ child? (opening up a theme of doing justly and loving mercy for the second week of Advent methinks, so more cries of political correctness from sections of the congregation probably).

A prominent member of the congregation (and one of the more thoughtful ones) told me after the service she'd not understood what I'd been trying to say cos I seemed to be speaking about the second coming rather than the first and she wanted to celebrate the first coming before she started thinking about the second.

I thought I'd been talking about getting ready to receive Christ now. And having reflected on my friend's comments I realise that my underlying theology was to see all the comings - first, second, and realised eschatology (present with us now) all as aspects of the one coming, which is Christ coming to us at all times and the demands that places upon us.

What my friend apparently wanted was a traditional Christmas with all the trimmings. I'm now not sure whether what I'd given her was an inferior concoction (and a garbled one at that), or actually something far more substantial and rooted in wise Christian tradition than the slightly dated contextual approach she seemed to want. Or am I simply counting angels on pinheads again?

So what's it to be next year? Hair shirts and locusts, or turkey and tinsel?

Answers on a postcard please.

Hi Andy,
I think it's all part of one coming to - we have 'the God who comes' not 'the God who came' and 'the God who will come (again).' John Stott preached on this back in the 1980's in a trully amazing way that enabled me to undertsnad it (and totally bamboozled my sister for once!).

Anyway, I was just typing up my 'the God who speaks' section for Sunday's four reflection service when this arrived and spoke into what I was doing, sothere you go, you're now being prophetic!

John Stott agrees with me! I'm sounder than I thought!!

So there you are - sound and prophetic, not sad and pathetic. Now I can face the week.