An Advent Journey - 29th November
An Advent Journey - 29th November
The word ‘Advent’ refers to the season of the year when Christians look forward to the birth of Jesus. This year it runs from 29th November (‘the first Sunday in Advent’) through to 24th December (Christmas Eve).
Advent is to do with getting ready, being prepared, looking forward, anticipating Christmas. Between now and Christmas we are hoping to engage in ‘An Advent Journey’ of daily readings and reflections for this season.
Today we begin with our first reading: Genesis 3:8-15.
When did you start getting ready for Christmas? My sense is that this year people have actually started getting ready earlier this year, than normal. Presents have been bought earlier, Christmas trees are going up earlier, people are thinking about Christmas plans earlier.
When we think of Christmas and the Bible our mind immediately goes to the gospel writers. But did you know the Bible writers start getting ready early for Christmas? In fact they start getting ready very early. Today’s reading comes from the first book in the Bible, the beginning of the one great true story that the Bible tells.
These verses tell us that there is something wrong with the world. Something very wrong, something that traces its ‘wrongness’ back to just after the very beginning. But just as the wrong (called sin) raises its head very early, so does God’s promise to deal with this sin and to re-make a broken creation. Genesis 3:15 contains the first hint that God is getting ready to send someone, who would be born into this world, to deal with the brokenness of this world at its root and at its source.
As we begin to read our Bibles we discover that the first Christmas was a long time in the making. A wonderful moment promised from the very beginning.
Prayer: Father we feel the brokenness of this world all around us. A deep brokenness. Thank you that from the very beginning you promised to do something about this, a promise that points to Christmas.