The last couple of years Advent has been very different for me. Whereas I have been used to a time of great busyness, singing and playing Christmas Carols at various Salvation Army and associated functions, preparing food parcels, toy parcels and the like, ensuring our own folk have a good season of expectation as well as the needs of the community are met much of that stopped when I changed my ministry to one as a Divisional Leader. Don't get me wrong - I still get involved in many of the above things but not for a congregation or district that is 'mine' - or 'ours' as Catherine and I have a joint and equal responsibility.
Two things happened: firstly I discovered that most of the people, fellowships and centres that I have responsibility for don't want me around at this time - unless I can be useful to them (and rightly so - I have never wanted to be seen as a guest but as a co-worker); secondly the beginning of Advent includes a five day conference considering the future appointment of officers. This alone is a sacred and hallowed task and demands all of my attention in mind, body and especially spirit.
This lack of sense of 'my' people at this time seems strangely appropriate because Jesus came for HIS people, he will come again for HIS people.
On this first day of Advent my prayers are multiple: for those for whom Christmas is a celebration of excess preceded by the season of consumerism; for those who are headlong involved in serving with and for 'their' people that they will have time for some 'Advent Wonder'; for those who are now 'my' people that are focused on their ministry that they will know they are prayed for; for myself that I might have wisdom.
Come, Lord Jesus.
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