Skip to main content

Advent Day 2

 2.  Isaiah 9: 2–7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.  You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 


I've never been afraid of the dark - but then again, I'd never really knew what proper darkness was until I moved out into the country.  When you grew up in the town, like I did in Lisburn, you never really know what true darkness really is!  With traffic and street lights at ever 25m, you were never far from the light.  When we moved to Benburb, we still had a few street lights close to the rectory, whereas we don't have any within almost half a mile of the rectory in Brookeborough.  When our lights go out now, we can truly say that it's dark!!

When Isaiah was given his vision of the coming Messiah, he described the Light of God coming into the world.  This is the perfect image of God coming into a dark world, filled with evil and despair - and this is still as relevant today.  In today's world, God's return could happen at any time, and we will trust in his promise that he will be our "Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace".  


Collect

Almighty God, Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hiroshima Remembrance

Hi folks Today, 6th August 2025, is the 80th anniversary since the United States of America dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Shortly afterwards, they dropped a similar device on another Japanese city of Nagasaki. Between the two events, over 200,000 people died, and Japan surrendered - ending the Second World War. The ripples from these two horrific events are still felt today, and the lessons from them are more relevant in today's world than ever before! Each day we hear about the tensions around the world regarding nations developing nuclear weapons, threatening to release havoc upon the world. Although the weapons are often referred to as deterants, the danger is that the whole world could be effectively ended within minutes if someone decided to release their particular weapon upon an enemy state! I pray that today reminds the world leaders about the absolute devastation that these weapons bring. They do not distinguish between combatants or civilians. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Hi folks Please find the service sheet for Sunday 10th August 2025, Morning Prayer Two. As usual, we will be streaming the service via Facebook at 11am. Regards Johnny     
Post a Comment
Read more

August Hymns and Readings

 Hi folks Here's the next list for the readings, readers and hymns for our services throughout August. There are five Sundays this month, and in our normal pattern, our fifth Sunday will be a Cafe Church service in the Parish Hall. As ever - this is just a guide, if you need to swap your date - just let someone know. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to read each month, and if you'd like to join the list, please let the church wardens or the Rector know. If we need to do so, both David and the Rector are more than happy to fill in for any given reading! 
Post a Comment
Read more