This Sunday we light our second symbolic sparkler and remember the meaning of Advent (the visit of Jesus).
We wait and we marinate in:
The remembrance of Israel’s yearning for the coming Messiah, to save, forgive and restore them.
Our hope for the second coming of Jesus where everything will be restored.
The realisation of our own need for Gods grace, through Jesus.

God, stir in our hearts excitement about the visit of your Son.

Jesus, prompt us to dwell on the idea that you are waiting for us too.

Help us to hear you and help us to be a sweet sound.

Waiting is the theme for today.

I feel a great unrest in these days - maybe you do too. Christmas is soon. The smells of pine in the lounge, the mince pies and the fragrant curries ( my christmas' may vary from yours) speak to me of family and love.

But it is also the time to that we turn our focus onto Christ. His first coming as a child reminds us he is coming again. And he's coming to liberate us.

The world is messed up - suffering and pain is all around us. Our limitations and inadequacies threaten to overtake us. Romans 8.22 reminds us of this.

And perhaps the madness of the pre-christmas build-up helps us appreciate the dec 25 that much more because it is such a contrast.

But as Christmas is coming and as the day Jesus returning comes closer - we must realise Jesus is also waiting for us.

He's waiting for us to see him because he's so close.

As he sits in a dark corner of the street in his dirty clothes and unkept beard.

As he sits in a foster home with five other sad faces.

As he sits in a prison - alone, rejected, hurting, and waiting for us to see him.

THe clip of Al Green is rather strange - he looks like he may be on acid but i do know he became a pastor a few years after this video was shot. But the beauty of his voice and his passion invoke the cry of our messiah to me.

And i'll end with this clip of Ben Harper - he trully has a amazing gift to take his listeners to heaven. The angel he speaks of - could be us. We can be angels on this earth - bringing heavenly things to the ordinary meanderings. We can bring rest and peace for those who are hassled and bring refreshment to thse who are burnt up.

And let us carry those too tired to go on - so they may see Jesus when he comes.

There is a day, created by a musician, called No Music Day. It is on 21st November, the eve of St Cecilias Day, the patron Saint of music and the idea is to, well, have a day of no music. A Guardian Columnist who observed the day this year wrote
"What is it about silence that scares us? Why do so many people only feel able to face the world clad in tinny iPod armour? Why put our feet at the mercy of others' rhythms, and pay so little heed to our own? We've been making music for millennia, but we've only been able to store it and broadcast it for a tiny fraction of that time. The excitement of attending a Haydn premiere in London in the 1790s, certain that this sound had never before entered a human ear, can now hardly be imagined. With our MP3 players and our silent discos, we are masters and mistresses of music as never before; perhaps, the inventor of No Music Day seems to be saying, we are getting a bit blasé."

In this paragraph he portrays the major themes of No Music Day and makes two beautiful points;

Silence shouldn't be scary
and
Sound should be special.

We, probably can't take a whole day, but how about taking a little time to be quiet. Plug your ears with your fingers or earplugs/ some loo roll (it works fine.) Use this silence fast to recapture the wonder of sound and to set your pace to Gods rhythm...

"How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him,still
The dear Christ enters in."

We are at a time of year when every spare second is filled with jingles, everyone, everywhere wanting our money... so much of the surrounding sound is trying to sell us something.

Hard Fi, a popular English indie band, say in their Television lyrics:

If I only had...
Television
New religion
Let everyone sing
Hallelujah
Politicians
Don't wanna listen
They only wanna make
money out of you
Hallelujah!!

Through the shop window, it's a wide screen world
But I can't afford a thing, and I never get the girl

It ain't easy

No it ain't easy...
You know we always want something
But somehow we end up with nothing
Nothing.

Thankfully they have cracked the myth (as I'm sure you have too) - this consumerist noise leaves Everyone Empty.

Hold a protest in your heart. Everytime you hear a jingle pull Hebrews 13.5 out in your mind: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Give a gift of sound...

Today- speak a word of encouragement, play someone a tune from your ipod, pay a sincere compliment, read someone a poem...

At Christmas- instead of giving a yoyo, strum someone a song on your guitar, give a Small Speech of Admiration, compose a story...

For Life- God, may the tune on my lips bring your grace, may the rhythms of my actions reflect your love, let me be a sweet, sweet sound to your ears...

In this wonderful short clip of French film, Amelie, we have a perfect example of the powerful dynamics of sound.
Jesus brings sense to noise, clarity to clatter. As people welcomed to work alongside Jesus we have an amazing privilege to bring illumination and meaning to the world around us.
God -help my noises to make someones day today!

When ever I think of an angel visiting a shepherd or Mary the Hallelujah Chorus is always the sound track - accompanied by a few fireworks whizzing and popping in the background.
Messages from God must have an extravagant sound, surely?
What does God sound like to you…
A whisper...
A train...
A breeze...
A thunderstorm...
A harp...
An entire orchestra...
A bird song

. . . . . . . . . . ?

The sound of God could be anything, but this we know- the message is extravagant. It is a serenade of one word -Jesus; Emmanuel, God with us.