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Dear friends,
I guess by the time you read this we'll be in the season of Advent, the four Sundays run-up
to Christmas - I bet you hate me for saying that, don't you! Advent is a time of preparation;
a time to remember the coming of Christ - not just as a babe in Bethlehem but also his future
coming as Saviour, Lord and Judge at the end of time. The word 'Advent' means: 'coming'
or 'arrival' and comes from the Latin 'Adventus'.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem that part of the world was governed by the Roman Empire.
The Romans had a custom that was known as 'Adventus'. When someone was coming to visit
you the custom of 'Adventus' meant you went out to meet them before they arrived at your door.
The more important you thought the visitor was, the further you would travel to meet them and
escort them to your house.
This is what God does for us in Christ. By living a human life, by taking our sins upon
himself, dying on the cross and rising again, Jesus came right down to where we are in our humanity,
in our mortal states, so that he could takes us back to his place, where we might share the
banquet in heaven. As a prayer used sometimes in the communion service says, "Father of
all, we give you thanks and praise, that, when we were still far off, you met us in your Son
and brought us home."
That's quite a journey from the sinlessness and glory of heaven to the sinfulness and imperfections
of humanity. But that's how important we are to God. However far away we feel from God,
Advent reminds us of God who comes to us, who is 'Emmanuel', God-with-us, who stays with us
all through our lives, who loves us more than we shall ever know, and at the end takes us to
be with him for evermore.
God bless you all,
Tom Bayliss
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