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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues

Ready, steady, wait?
Are we ready for Jesus’ return? The importance of being prepared as we wait (Mark 13:24-37)

Context

Ideas for sermons or interactive talks

  • Hope: The beginning of Mark’s chapter, where Jesus talks about the stones being thrown down, has a particularly painful resonance as we watched buildings in Gaza being turned to rubble. How can we hold hope – the theme for Advent this week – amid such destruction and suffering? Talks of an extension to the ceasefire and further exchange of prisoners give us hope that this fragile truce might continue. We wait for a long-term solution that brings peace, although that can seem impossible right now. But step by step, perhaps it can be possible to prepare a way for peace. Jesus talks about looking for the signs – what other signs of hope can we see? Share and pray for signs of hope.
  • Waiting time: Advent is a time of waiting, and waiting can be hard when we don’t know how long we have to wait for something, or when it seems for ever. Whether it’s a child waiting weeks for Christmas, or a country waiting years for the return of a national treasure, the longer we wait the tougher it can be. How do we cope with waiting? Jesus talks about being alert, using the waiting time wisely. How are we using this Advent season? Share ideas for coping with waiting and how to use Advent time well.
  • True meaning: What we are waiting for may symbolise much more than is immediately obvious. The Elgin Marbles are not just beautiful works of art; they represent democracy, and their return is seen as an issue of justice. Of course, Christmas is about more than food and gifts: what does it symbolise to us? Christmas adverts give different views on the true meaning of Christmas. Vote for the favourite advert or draw a Christmas symbol.
  • One small step: Jesus teaches us that waiting doesn't mean doing nothing. Jesus teaches us to be prepared, because we never know when God will return. As a survivor, it’s hard to imagine when we might see effective prevention of abuse; just as it is hard to see how we can stop the damage of climate change. So, we become activists, and celebrate the small wins – such as national park protection, or Della’s Law – that contribute to the bigger change. Lots of people contributed to its success, but it started with Della, one brave individual raising her voice. Make a commitment to one small step you can take this Christmas for a cause you feel strongly about.

Questions for discussion

  • If you could make a Christmas advert for your church, what message would it give?
  • How are you using Advent to be prepared for Jesus coming? How can you make space for God in your life?
  • What signs of hope do we see in our local community? How can we bring hope where it is needed?

Jane Chevous is an activist, writer, sailor, and leader of Survivors Voices. She researches and writes about abuse, theology, mental health and the sea.

 

Check-in

Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people

The Advent services have begun. I don’t know about you, but it seems that everywhere I go I see carol services, nativity plays and other traditional events, advertised left, right and centre!

Why do we hold and attend these events? There is a carol, which proclaims: Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free. God lived on earth, in the person of Jesus – who died to save us so that we might have life everlasting in heaven. A most wonderful thing, only possible through his birth, which we celebrate at Christmas. We know that on the 25th December we celebrate a very special occasion. So, we hold these carol services and nativity plays because we want to share that something amazing is going to happen, and to prepare and mark what is going to take place.

These rounds of advent festivities are our equivalent of the servants’ actions in this week’s Gospel reading. The servants do not know when their master is returning, but they do know what he deserves. Notably, the house must be in order. The servants realise that before something important happens, they must prepare. In the grand scheme of our lives, this means that before Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead, we must follow Christ by showing charity, love, and generosity towards others.

So, make the most of this Advent, for these few weeks before Christmas represent a little example of getting ready for Jesus. Go out, get involved in the carol services, the nativity plays, and other festive events! Because in doing so, we get ourselves ‘in order’ for the great feast of Christmas – waiting expectantly and focusing on things which truly matter. Then, when the exciting gatherings in our families, schools, and communities have finished, take that Christmas intensity and energy out into the world, so that we can be ready when Jesus comes to be with us once and for all.

Joe Allen holds an MA in Theology at the University of Exeter. He works as a Pastoral Assistant in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, alongside coordinating the work of a fundraising charity for a major church in central London.

 

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