First Sunday of Advent - Year A

Advent, leading to Christmas, is a time of hope and expectation, and the lectionary readings reflect this. The Christmas story is included, of course; Matthew’s account, and Luke’s with the shepherds and the heavenly choir, together with a beautiful passage from Titus. It is not all easy reading, Christmas-card stuff, though. There is the stark warning from Matthew about being ready to meet with Christ, putting aside daily preoccupations. There is the flight of the Holy Family from Herod’s wrath, and the massacre of the innocents. We see John the Baptist, first boldly proclaiming the coming Kingdom, and then in prison, filled with doubts. As always, the lectionary readings reflect life as it really is – full of disappointments, dangers, doubts, but with hope and joy always shining through....

Created by Susan Thorne on behalf of LWPT (Leaders of Worship and Preachers' Trust) for more information click here