Welcome to our 2021 Advent Journey! This year we are making our way toward Christmas by exploring the four Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, but with a twist. This second week is not just about Peace but Peace(ful) Preparation, but before you jump in to today’s reflection, just take a moment, breathe slowly, and pray the following prayer as truthfully and earnestly as you can.

God of Peace
You have promised to crush the head of Satan,
that ancient serpent, under our feet.
Therefore, help us to live in faithfulness to your eternal light
and in active rebellion against the darkness of this age.
We swear our allegiance to you alone.
Amen.

Daily Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-12

Find the above scripture in your bible and read slowly – you might want to read it out loud. You can also find it here.

Reflection

Our passage for this week begins with the call to ‘be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power’ and to put on his armour, which suggests that the warfare we are called into as Christians cannot be won by using our own resources. Earlier in the letter Paul had prayed that the church in Ephesus would know the ‘immeasureable greatness of [God’s] power for us who believe’, which ‘he put to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead’ (1:18-20), and that they would be strengthened in their inner being with power through the Spirit (3:16). For Paul, the power of the Spirit is a non-negotiable and essential element of the Christian life and therefore we invite you to reflect on, and pray for, this divine gift throughout this week.

The second call here is for the believer to ‘put on’ or ‘clothe ourselves with’ the whole armour of God and mentions the six main elements of a soldiers equipment: the belt, breastplate, boots, shield, helmet, and sword. We will be exploring each of these this week.

The reason that Paul emphasiess the need for Divine power and protection is because we are involved in a ‘struggle’ against ‘spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places’ (6:12). This may seem a bit daunting but have a read of what else Paul says in 1:3,20, 2:6, and 3:10 and then see how you feel.

What is also key to note is that this struggle is explicitly said not to be against ‘blood and flesh’, i.e other humans. In a world where communities are becoming more divided and people are having a harder time really listening and communicating with each other, we would do well to remember where the true struggle lies. Maybe take a moment and ask yourself who you might be tempted to conisder an enemy and how this might affect how you relate to them.

Advent Quotes

‘The battle is real, even if the outcome is assured. The enemy is real, even if not blood and flesh. The armor and the weapons are real, even if they are “only” the persistent and prayerful exercise of truth, peace, justice, and the word of God.’

| Thomas R. Neufeld

‘If it has flesh and blood, it is not your enemy.’

| Greg Boyd

‘Paul calls the church to a strategy of resistance. It is not our task to defeat the powers; God has already defeated them in the death and resurrection of Jesus. God has broken their enslaving grip over creation, signaling that their eventual day of complete destruction is on its way. The church is called to inhabit the victory that God has already accomplished.’

| Timothy Gombis

Advent Song: Drive Out the Darkness

Come, O Come
Be our light
Drive out the darkness
Come, Jesus, Come

Every year under the thorn
Every wrong that we have known
Every valley will be raised
Ancient ruins will be remains

Come, O Come
Be our light
Drive out the darkness
Come, Jesus, Come

Every weapon made for war
Every gun and every sword
Will be melted in the flamе
To be used for gardening

Comе, O Come
Be our light
Drive out the darkness
Come, Jesus, Come

In the emptiness of grief
Through the night of suffering
In the loss and in the tears
God of comfort, O be near…

Come, O Come
Be our light
Drive out the darkness

Come, O Come
Be our light
Drive out the darkness

Come, and end all the violence
Come, do not be silent
Come, cling to your promise
Come, break all injustice
Come, Jesus, Come

| Porters Gate

WAGE PEACE

Closing Benediction

Be people of peace.
Let peace live in your heart and share the peace of Christ with all you meet.
Share peace by acting out of compassion and not fear.
Share peace by listening to all sides of the story.
Share peace by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share peace.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations,
share peace and hope with those you meet.

Amen.

| Liturgy Link

Zoom Reflections Monday – Thursday evenings at 9 – 9:20pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86970491613

As always, we would love to hear your thoughts and reflections and so please do leave a comment in the section at the bottom of this page. Much love to you all on this Advent journey!