Happy New Year as we enter Advent

HAPPY New Year.

No, I am not a month early.

The new Christian year begins tomorrow with Advent Sunday.

This weekend we begin our preparations for the celebration of the coming into the world of God's only Son to be God-with-us (for that is what Immanuel means).

Advent is above all a season of preparation.

Of course, like everyone we must make plans for our actual celebrations at Christmas.

But we also seek to prepare by recalling what was said by the ancient Hebrew prophets about this one who was to come.

It was the prophet Isaiah, for example, who gave him the name Immanuel and who also called him Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God and Prince of Peace.

Tomorrow, many of us will hear Old Testament words which promise that he shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.' This surely is a message for our time if there ever was.

During this season we do not just prepare to celebrate once again the coming of Jesus in Bethlehem long ago.

We also think ahead, for we believe that he will come again at the end of all things. Tomorrow, many of us will hear a gospel reading in which we are challenged to keep awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming'.

We do not know precisely what the Bible means when it promises this second coming.

And we are firmly warned not to try to predict when or how it may come.

But it is at the heart of our faith that it will come and that we shall all then be held to account for the way in which we have used this life which God gives us.

So have a good Advent and remember that it is not all about getting the food and the presents but also about preparing for the challenge of God coming to earth as a human being and turning all our assumptions upside down.