ADVENT

The Book of Common Prayer, in which I was raised and guided my worship every Sunday, begins the Christian Year with the First Sunday in Advent. The prayer (Collect) for that day to be repeated every day until Christmas Eve is the following:

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

The Epistle to be read on that Sunday gives the biblical source of that prayer. Romans 13:8ff. refers to love being the fulfilling of the law and then continues:

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day….But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Advent reminds us to look forward to the coming of Christ, not just his first coming in great humility, but his second coming “in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead.” Knowing that time in our lives when we will face Judgment we need to take it seriously for it is nearer than when we first believed. At this time in my life I am aware of the many friends for whom the Lord has already come. Jesus told us to be ready for that time. We are to put on the armour of light: the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the belt of truth, the sword of the Spirit, and unceasing prayer. We are to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ so that when he comes for us in his Majesty, we shall be wearing his uniform, which, like the guest in his wedding garment, gives us entry into the feast of victory. As we are preparing for that time we can look forward to rising to the life immortal. We are not lamenting the loss of mortal life but anticipating the fulfilment of being called into the presence of the One who loves us and has won for us life eternal, of which this life is only a shadow. As an ancient prayer concludes:

By your first coming, make us righteous; And your second coming, set us free: So that, when the world is filled with light And you judge all things, We may be clad in spotless robes And follow in your steps, O King, Into the heavenly hall.