Advent

So this Sunday was the beginning of Advent. We had our first Carol Service in the Cathedral (I've never been to a carol service in November before.) The place was packed out and most of the service was held in darkness, save for the small candle lights each of us were holding. As the worship progressed, the focal point (i.e. the choir) moved from west to east, to symbolize the journey to Bethlehem. It was a good evening and I didn't set anyone's hair on fire.


But in the morning we had our usual service, at which Geoffrey Sidaway spoke, he is the Archdeacon of Gloucester (Archdeacons are like the Bishop's right-hand people.)
I have to say it was one of the best sermons I've heard in the Cathedral.
He opened the season of Advent by talking about the birth of Christ, as the coming kingdom. He explained that the Scriptures have two words for 'time'. One is the Greek word, 'chronos', where we get our idea of periods of time, a similar phrase in English would be chronological time. The other word for time is, 'kairos.' This is much more dramatic, giving a sense of a time being etched into our very being. It's when a time becomes a moment, a season, someone might say that they have had 'the time of their life.' It could be a celebration, the time you got married, or laid eyes on your child for the first time. The time you witnessed a human being walk on the moon. It can be a time of sadness, a time you remember the loss of a loved one.
It's the phrase 'kairos' that is used to described Jesus entering time and space. The birth of Jesus is the time Christ entered the world, a time that becomes a moment, even a movement that alters the course of human history.
He went on to challenge us that Advent should reflect this sense of drama as we anticipate the time when Christ came into the world and the bigger challenge was given to the wider church, that our worship and daily life should reflect this drama. As we connect with the world, how are we communicating in our worship and life, that the time of God is here? It wasn't about choosing between traditional or contemporary worship, but it was a call to authenticity and excellence. I found my heart agreeing as well as being challenged afresh by what was said. You could have called it a 'kairos moment.'

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