Today's PAYG was based on part of Isaiah 11 and, refreshingly, invited the hearer to imagine how Jesus might have become aware of these words, firstly as a child, then pondering them as a young man.  In the midst of the reflection was a throw away line roughly thus: "the lion and the bear might object to going vegetarian as part of a less violent, more just, world". 

The new world order might not be everything we would like!  More justice and less violence might mean us relinquishing aspects of life that we enjoy or find rewarding... as one of my college tutors used to remind us that her father (a minister) always said when speaking of heaven, "[Jesus] never said we're going to like it".

Sung to the tune 'Picardy', the hymn "Earth was waiting, spent and restless" captures something of this mystery and tension... that what we long for may not prove entirely what we imagine, that hope and fear are inevitably mingled as we move onwards towards the horizon of history and the eternal reign of Christ.

BPW 141

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."

W C Smith

Can't find a decent video clip for this, and, in an attempt not to breach too much copyright, only citing one verse - but you can for it look on line I'm sure.

I wonder what I will not like about the new creation...?  Lots to ponder there!

Last week someone, trying to make sense of the incarnation, said that "a certain proportion of God came to earth and the rest stayed in heaven..."  Whilst I follow their logic, and understand what they are attempting to do, it is an attempt to rationalise what is ultimately a mystery... how can God be simultaneously transcendent and immanent; in heaven and on earth, there and here... the answer is, we cannot know, but by faith we have the audacity to trust that somehow it is so...

Advent is a time of mystery, a time of looking forward and looking backward, of recognising the 'now and not yet', a time of seeming contradiction and yet...

BPW 140 - A Great and Mighty Wonder, first two verses... (attempting not to do much copyright breaching this year!)

A great and mighty wonder:
redemption drawing near!
the virgin bears the infant,
the prince of peace is here!
Repeat the hymn again:
'To God on high be glory,
and peace on earth. Amen.'

The Word becomes incarnate
and yet remains on high;
the shepherds hear the anthem
as glory fills the sky-
Repeat the hymn again:

here is a choral version: enjoy!

Well, why not?  This seems as much of a purple colour scheme is is on offer, and it is rather attractive.

And the Advent Candle badge to help count the days...

Today our Advent theme was "Patriarches and Matriarchs" and I tried to imagine the stories of Abram & Sarai aka Abraham & Sarah, and of Elizabeth & Zechariah as if the women had told them.  There was some reading of commentaries and some exegesis worked in there somewhere... it seemed to be quite well received, and this despite allusions to geriatic love-making!!

Anyway his is one of the hymns we sang, flawed in so far as it gives Abraham faith and Sarah doubt, when in fact they each laughed at the preposterous dea of a child in their dotage (read Genesis 18 only in the light of Genesis 17), but which, overall carries a powerful message:

1  "Go forth in faith, from kindred, home and custom.
    Leave the old gods":- what easy words to say!
    How hard to move, with Abraham's decision,
    break free, and risk a new uncertain way.

2  How hard to trek from ease in Pharaoh's palace,
    from boardroom power, or popular acclaim,
    to bear discomfort, ridicule, or malice,
    with earth's discarded people, in God's name.

3  Yet when we laugh at hope, like Sarah, grieving
    that nothing changes, nothing can be done,
    we bear, like her a promise past conceiving,
    of justice, joy, shalom, and kingdom-come.

4  Within the womb of every best tradition
    the Spirit moves, and cannot be ignored.
    We feel the kicking of our inner vision   
    and sing, "My soul shall glorify the Lord!"

5  The voices from the past re-echo round us.
    Take courage from the faith of many friends.
    Go forth in faith, and look ahead to Jesus,
    on whom, from start to finish, faith depends.

6  With faith newborn, and passionate for justice,
    together now, we'll travel out from home,
    to sacrifice the peace of calm uprightness,
    an struggle for the city of Shalom.


Brian Wren (born 1936) © 1989 Stainer & Bell Ltd

We sang it to the tune of "heaven shall not wait" (Iona) but it oculd also be sung to Finlandia or the Londonderry Air to name but two.

BPW 139

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 for ever,
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.

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)