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Advent is the season of imperatives!  Watch!  Pray!  Come, Lord Jesus!  Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding!  Be alert!  Be on your guard!  Wake up, the time is near!  And so on.

Even the alternative name for this Third Sunday of Advent is an imperative – it’s ‘Gaudete Sunday’, ‘Rejoice!’ – a name taken from the traditional Introit for this day.

The first word which would have been heard by the congregation was ‘Gaudete!’, taken from Philippians 4:4, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice’, and, as we have done this morning, the pink candle on the Advent Wreath is lit, and in some traditions rose vestments are worn today – it’s a sort of mini-break in the Season of Advent.

And Advent is a season of weighty themes – the Four Last Things – Heaven, Hell, Death and Judgement.  In the Reading from Isaiah we heard the announcement of the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom on earth, as the Good News is preached, the blind see, the deaf hear and the lame walk – words which Jesus used of himself when preaching in the Synagogue in Capernaum at the start of his public ministry [Is 61:1 & Lk 4:18-19].  And from the beginning of John’s Gospel we heard of John’s preaching in the wilderness, and of his testifying to the light which is coming into the world [Jn 1:6-8].

Advent is a season of imperatives, of weighty themes, and a time for action and reflection.  It’s a time of expectancy and hope – we reflect on his first coming, as a baby in being born in the stable at Bethlehem; his coming to us now in love and hope, in this present time and in this Eucharist; and the hope of the final coming when God in Christ will return to save his people.  It expresses our hope that somehow, the Kingdom of God is breaking into this world even now – combining thoughts of Jesus’ first coming at Bethlehem, with thoughts of his final coming in glory at the end of all time.

It’s an exciting and expectant time, a time for thought, reflection and action.

Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’s, Piccadilly, puts it like this: ‘I hope that we can let Advent be Advent, and not rush towards the tinsel too soon.  It’s a season that can sharpen our gaze and strengthen our resolve to see the world as it is, at the same time injecting us with energy to imagine the future as it could be’ [CT, 10/XII/21].

And this morning, in the midst of what is for lots of people a rather hectic time, I thought we’d spend a few moments at the reflective end of the spectrum.  For many people there is no shortage of action at this time of the year – too much to do, in fact.  But we find it more difficult to find time for reflection and prayer.

So, in the middle of our busyness, in the middle of this Eucharist, surrounded by the busyness of the Market, the busyness of the thousands of people who have been here for special Services over the past days, and who will come in even larger numbers over the coming days, in the midst of all of this, I thought we would turn to reflection in three short poems, with a pause between each.

The first, by James Hart, is simply called ‘John the Baptist’, and is in the form of a ‘Wanted’ poster, reflecting on John’s character and calling.  What must he have been like when he appeared in the wilderness?

Wanted: John the Baptist

Clothing: Camel’s hair and leather Girdle
Food: Locusts and Wild Honey
Home: In the wilderness
Family: Connections with Jesus
Job: Greatest of prophets
Message: Repent and believe

If found: Follow or decapitate; Take your pick…

[https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/john-the-baptist-3/]

It is in John’s Gospel that we are told that John ‘Came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him’ [Jn 1:7].

He came to ‘testify to the light’.  In a moment, you will be able to see an image by Jan Richardson called, ‘Testify to the light’.