Already the first week of Advent draws to its close. 

Children (of all ages) have opened a quarter of the 'windows' on their Advent calendars.

More and more windows twinkle with light as trees are put up in homes across the land.

Works Dos are in full swing, with the annual warnings about inappropriate behaviour and the dangers of too much wine...

Quarter of the way there, and yet, to me anyway, it seems as remote as ever: I lack any sense that Christmas is about to happen.

Yesterday our lunch time reflection, centring on Elizabeth & Zechariah reminded us that Israel had been waiting against a background of perceived divine silence lasting around four centuries.  The promises seemed as remote as ever.  As I pondered this, I was reminded of this lovely Advent hymn:

Earth was waiting, spent and restless,
with a mingled hope and fear;
and the faithful few were sighing,
'surely Lord the day is near;
the desire of all the nations,
it is time He should appear.'

Still the gods were in their temples,
but the ancient faith had fled;
and the priests stood by their altars
only for a piece of bread;
and the oracles were silent,
and the prophets all were dead.

In the sacred courts of Zion,
where the Lord had his abode,
there the money-changers trafficked,
and the sheep and oxen trod;
and the world, because of wisdom,
knew not either Lord or God.

Then the Spirit of the Highest
on a virgin meek came down,
and He burdened her with blessing,
and He pained her with renown;
For she bare the Lord's anointed,
for His cross and for His crown.

Earth for Him had groaned and travailed
since the ages first began;
for in Him was hid the secret
that through all the ages ran-
Son of Mary, Son of David,
Son of God, and Son of Man.

Walter C Smith (1824-1908)

Our reflection leader yesterday shared really interesting information about the Jewish priesthood at the time of Zechariah - how there were around 20,000 priests, divided into groups, each serving in the Temple for a week a year, along with extra duties at festivals.  The drawing by lot of the priest whose turn it would be to offer the incense became far more significant in that context.  There must have been hundreds of priests patiently doing the day to day work, and feeling it would never be their turn to offer the incense.  The "spent and restless" feeling may well have been as real for them as it can be for us today... exhausted by the daily round, restless for arrival of Christmas.

Boundless God, it is not just earth that is waiting, spent and restless

It is us, the people who try to follow Jesus and spend ourselves in what we hope is his service

We fill our time with preparations and yet there is so often a void within - we are indeed spent

We try to pause, to reflect, to centre ourselves as activity lures us on - we are in fact restless

But You rested

If only once in all eternity

If only to make a model for us to emulate

Still my restless body

My busy mind

My overfull heart

Take away anxiety and activity

Just for a moment

And let me pause

To savour the promise

Of Emmanuel, God with us...

Amen.