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On the fourth Sunday in Advent, as we light our fourth candle, the focus is on ourselves and our personal witness to Jesus. The prophets of old told their people to look out for Jesus. John the Baptist said look here he is. Mary said Yes I will and Jesus was born, but this is not enough. We are not part of some historical preservation society. We are not proclaiming an historical figure that changed the world’s thinking. Rather it is, that we are speaking of a faith with power to change lives now. Of a person, who is as present today as He was two millennia ago.

The essential message of Christianity is that of individuals encountering God and their response. Have you thought about how it was for Mary, the day before the angel came? A young girl, perhaps 15, with marriage and her life planned out before her and then suddenly; God disturbed.

You see this is the story of all the saints of God. It is not necessarily an angel, but at some point, God breaks in and everything changes. And to each, there is that encounter, the point at which the decision is made. For many, faith is not one great leap, but like the journey of a thousand miles, it begins with a small step.

Each Christmas, then, is an opportunity to revisit the story of God’s love and respond. As the preamble in tonight’s service begins — Let us hear again the message of the angels and in heart and mind go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass.

Each Christmas, is not the rehearsal of our childhood faith, but an opportunity to again renew and restore our adult faith on our journey of faith.

Each Christmas, begins with Advent to remind us that the coming we await is the one of the future, which is the fulfilment of the coming of the past.

So as the people of God, we have two messages to bring — One is that we are waiting for the new kingdom to be initiated on Jesus return, and two, we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus, bringing to the world, the message of Christmas — the good news that this birth is to each human being.

It is easy to become critical of the world who is lost in celebration at this time, but does not know the reason, but why do they not? Is it that they have failed to hear, or have we failed to tell them?

The ineffectiveness of the church in the developed world, is not necessarily our fault, because it has its roots in the age of enlightenment two centuries ago, but its continual ineffectiveness is. It is nice to see the creation of Christian communities like at Poatina and there is always the attractiveness to join such. But we are not called to do so. If I want to live in a Christian community, then I must make my community Christian.

This is what I believe is our manifesto as a church, as a parish. Our mission field is on the doorstep, not in some overseas country and our task is to bring others to faith, to bring others to Jesus. And the way that we are to do this, is to present to our neighbours and our families the living reality of a faith in Christ. To live out the Gospel as the world looks on and to draw them in through our enthusiasm.

This is why it is as import to me to have the community building activities as much as to have the spiritual building activities. For unless we are a community, how can we be a community of faith. Would the accusation made about the Christians in the second century still be valid for Cressy? See how the Christians love each other.

Let us then refocus ourselves this Christmas to the meaning of the gift of love, and demonstrate this to friend, neighbour and family as we wait in expectation of a second coming. Let us begin with what we do best, building a community that welcomes the stranger and demonstrates the calling of God on our lives. I know we do well, but let us together, you and I, try to do better.

AMEN.