Sunday Worship
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Our Sunday morning services today are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. Today is also Christmas Eve, and you can find details of our Christmas services in the notices at the end of this blog.
If you are unable to attend our services in person, you can read the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.
Our first hymn this morning is "Mary Did You Know"
Today's Gospel
Luke 1:26-38 The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Reflection
Here we are, on Christmas Eve as we wait with anticipation for the coming of our Lord and no doubt the children wait to see what is inside the Christmas presents. This year, the fourth Sunday in Advent falls on Christmas Eve and we recall the wonderful story of the Annunciation, where the Angel Gabriel visits Mary and gives her the good news that she has been chosen by God to give birth to the saviour of the world. That it will be Mary’s responsibility to play the crucial role in the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophesy [Isaiah 9:6-9], to bear the one who is to be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace.
It is a story of great hope, trust and obedience. No matter how many times I read this passage, I am filled with awe and wonder at Mary’s reaction; this teenage peasant from some little known, remote town, who is chosen by God to do something that will have a truly massive impact on the whole world forever. Then to see her reaction which is to humbly say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” How trusting and obedient is that?
This story is so full of hope and takes place at a time when God’s people have seen much turmoil and war for hundreds of years including exile at the hands of the Babylonians. Here is God about to show his people that through him nothing is impossible. It is God’s plan that we should all be saved through His Son, not just the Israelites, if we believe and trust in him. Trust and faith in God is exactly how Mary and Joseph responded to the Angel Gabrielle despite the potential ridicule and scorn they may face.
So what does all this mean for us? How do we see our lives on a daily basis? We are surrounded by issues and worries; as we look around there are wars being fought across the world, people are starving and there is the looming fear of a global climate catastrophe. Add to that any personal worries we may have such as our health, the cost if living and job security, and it is easy to get despondent. Perhaps, as we await the coming of Jesus, we too need to remind ourselves that through God nothing is impossible. To put our faith in God and trust in His divine power. To pray to Him, put our worries in His hands and believe that He has a plan for us all. Happy Christmas to you all, Paul
Our Prayers
