Pew Sheet, Sunday, 7th December 2024, The Second Sunday of Advent

Today in our service, we remember the part played by John the Baptist in guiding people towards Christ. His relationship with Jesus was one of profound humility, prophetic purpose, and spiritual recognition, which is why Jesus called him the greatest prophet that Israel had ever known at one point (Matthew 11:11).

Though they were first cousins, their connection goes far beyond family ties. John understood that his entire life’s purpose was to prepare the people of Israel for one who was to be far greater than himself. His preaching and teaching, his call to repentance, and his baptismal ministry were aimed solely at this purpose, and we see an example of this in our Gospel reading today.

John is renowned for dwelling in the wilderness, wearing a rough shirt made of goatskin, and eating locusts and wild honey, so it is no surprise that he speaks these words today, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord [and] make his paths straight’… except he did not say those words exactly! In saying this, John recited an earlier prophecy by Isaiah, but because Hebrew had no discernible grammar in those days, early translators rendered them in the way we see them here.

We know however, that the meaning which both Isaiah and John meant to convey was not just ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’, but to remind people where we should do this. Modern scholars now render the text thus, which makes much more sense of the verses around it, and the broader sweep of their teaching: ‘The voice of one crying out: “In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord [and] make his paths straight”.

Each knew that it is in the wilderness of our lives that God is best able to meet us if we are willing to be found by God, because our wilderness often provides those teachable moments that we would not normally discern in the relative ease of our daily lives. We often feel that God is far away from us when we feel desolate or find ourselves in a ‘hard place’, but it is here, and here alone, that we are often able to encounter the living God if only we knew it, and were prepared to make space for him by removing the obstacles in the way to provide a ‘highway’ for God to approach us on.

Collect

Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds, that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as judge and Saviour we may be ready to receive him, who is
our Lord and our God.

Isaiah 11.1-10

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out
of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah.

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Romans 15:4-13

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so
that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises
given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
and sing praises to your name’; and again he says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’; and again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him’; and again Isaiah says,

‘The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.” ’

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able
from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

‘I baptise you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the
granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

Post Communion Prayer

Father in heaven, who sent your Son to redeem the world,
and will send him again to be our judge: give us grace so to imitate him
in the humility and purity of his first coming that when he comes again,
we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This week’s events

Monday

Bell Ringing Practice, 7.30pm in St Laurence. Contact Jan on 07835 461361.

Tuesday

Zoom Morning Prayer at 9am ID: 748 9970 4493 Password: Trinity or contact Didier on [email protected]

Daytime Bible Study Group (2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays), contact Paula on 07803 942 687 for more information.

Evening House-group contact Jo on 07803 942 687 for more information.

Wednesday (Ember Day)

Morning Coffee from 10.00-11.45 in the St Laurence Rooms.

Midweek Holy Communion at 12.00 noon, St Laurence Church

Thursday

Daytime Homegroup, contact Jo on 07803 942 687 for more information.

Friday (Lucy, Martyr at Syracuse, 304; Ember Day)

Junior Choir at 6.30pm, followed by full Choir Practice at 7.30pm.

Sunday 14^th December

• Family Nativity Service, 09.30am at St Laurence Winslow.
• Nine Lessons and Carols, 5pm at St James’ Great Horwood.

Sunday 21^st December

• Nine Lessons and Carols, 6pm at St Laurence Winslow.
• Nine Lessons and Carols, 6pm at St Laurence Winslow.

Our collections from each service will be donated to the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands to help them rebuild churches,

Schools, and clinics disastrously damaged by Hurricane Melissa.

Wednesday 24^th December

• Nativity Service with Christingles, 3pm at St Laurence.
• Nativity Service with Christingles, 4.30pm at St James’.
• Benefice Midnight Mass, 11pm at St Laurence.

Thursday 25^th December

• Benefice Celebration with Holy Communion, 9.30am, St Laurence.