It is the second Sunday of Advent. A reminder that the word ‘advent’ means “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.” And remember we are not just talking about the ‘Christ-child’, but also the 2nd coming of Jesus, and Jesus coming to us 24/7 in the person of the Holy Spirit. All three of these sum up the meaning of Advent. Today we are in ‘wonder’ of the Holy Spirit of God! Everything about Jesus and everything about God is in us, written in our hearts, an integral part of who we are, because of the Holy Spirit. Everything God has said and done – beautiful creation speaking so clearly to us, pain and suffering turning into gladness and joy, we know intrinsically as true because God has planted his Spirit into us. Everything about Jesus, every word he spoke, every act of healing, kindness, grace and truth, everything of Jesus is in us because God has planted his Spirit into us. Our spirit, the deepest truth about us, the God DNA in us, is joined to God’s spirit. Unworthy, stumbling around in sin, clay feet, you and me, are home to God! Yes, we are in ‘wonder’ of the Holy Spirit of God! Joined to God, even more than husband/wife/parent/child, joined inseparably, adopted as God’s child with exactly the same rights as Jesus his son, invited into the eternal circle of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – all because of the indwelling spirit of God. The Westminster Confession captured this brilliantly in these words: The Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Give of Life. The astounding miracle of Jesus’ life, the Father’s plan from the beginning of time to include you and me and all creation in Him, is all worked out by the Holy Spirit. “It is better for you I go away…” Jesus said, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised, the Holy Spirit.” We marveled at the arrival of the babe in the manager, God becoming like us, one with us. Little did we know this was just the beginning, that God would eventually make his home in us by the indwelling of his spirit.

We begin the season of Advent this Sunday. A reminder that the word ‘advent’ means “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.” And remember we are not just talking about the ‘Christ-child’, but also the 2nd coming of Jesus, and Jesus coming to us 24/7 in the person of the Holy Spirit. All three of these sum up the meaning of Advent. We start today with the 2nd coming of Jesus, so often for us a far away, sensational event we don’t pay too much attention to. Here’s the secret to the end times! Whatever is going to happen then, and we should pay attention to it, is happening now too, and contains is a message for how we live in the here and now. Every generation experiences the signs of the coming Jesus. Sadly few generations pay attention to it. Here's why we should pay attention: o In almost every ‘end time’ story Jesus told, and there are several of them, he emphasized the ‘urgency’ of our faith now! For example in Matthew 24:44 he concludes his ‘end time’ story with these words, “So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him". Jesus constantly reminds us to check our complacency – it seems he thought this to be of major concern. So did John think this, as in his seven letters to the churches, the Spirit says to the church in Laodicea, “But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth!” Because there are so many sensational, ill directed and wild statements made about the end times, we have grown indifferent to them. The marginal fringe have all but ruined the ‘end time’ message for most of us. If not even Jesus knew the time, "No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come - neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows, (Matthew 24:36), how on earth do such fringe lunatics know? o 'End times' helps us interpret and understand what is happening around the globe now (war, crime, brutality, climate change, ‘haves versus the have nots). If it going to happen then, it sure is going to happen now! It is as Ecclesiastes says, ‘there is nothing new under the sun’, every generation points towards a final consummation, and up until now every generation has had to live through much trial, tribulation, and terror, both globally, and for many very personally. o The end is going to happen one day, it is an integral part of our common history and destiny. We must not think God is a fool and his warnings irrelevant. History is not spinning around in a pointless circle, as it appears to. God is still in control, and has plans for a new earth and a new heaven, for us in the here and now when we die, and then one day when it all comes together.

One of the most powerful, if not the most powerful force, at play in our subconscious lives is memory, both positive and negative memory, and both equally as powerful. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, has a huge wall mural with the words, “We remember lest we forget.” They turned a negative memory into a positive memory, and a memory to ensure they never go back there again. Whenever Israel felt down and discouraged they remembered what God had done for them in the past, then they pulled themselves up again, and renewed their faith in God. Palm 77 is just but one example of many. Google ‘Old Testament remember’, and see how many hits you get! You can confidently say Israel built their faith in God through memory. This is how powerful memory is, and the reason why bad memories need to be healed and transformed, and good memories are treasured and built upon. Our very lives depend and revolve around our memories. The can both capture us and hurt us, and they also make us strong and positive. No wonder Jesus said, ‘When you eat this, and when you drink this, remember me.’ He knew the power of memory, and especially our memory of his love, grace and sacrifice. This memory, lived out in us, transforms everything about us. One last thought about memory. Last Sunday was All Saints Day, the day we remind ourselves about the ‘saints’ (some alive, and some dead, some we know intimately, some we don’t even know) who have influenced and shaped our lives. Why don’t you take a moment to reflect on the ‘saints’ in your life? Make a list of them and give thanks. And let me remind you a ‘saint’ is not necessarily a ‘good’ person as we are inclined to think, but that powerful, loving, influencing person that made you who you are. Most ‘saints’ I know have clay feet! It may be a national figure like Gandhi or Mandela, a family member like a Mom or a Dad, an author, a speaker, a friend, a boss, etc. etc. Let’s remember and give thanks. And if there is a bad memory, place it in God’s hands and ask him to transform and renew your mind, like he did Israel’s at Yad Vashem.