It’s almost Advent and my ‘preaching this Sunday’ streak continues. This will be 3 in a row with number 4 in the diary!
This Sunday coming is the 1st Sunday in advent. I’ve never led worship during Advent before and I’m really looking forward to it. I also volunteered to help my dad with his watchnight (Christmas eve) service which should be fun. This Sunday I think I’ll be looking at hope and expectation, thinking about the prophecies, Mary and perhaps John the Baptist but maybe that will have to wait until the next Sunday.
We came across a reading in Alternative Worship by Jonny Baker and Doug Gay all about Joseph and how he felt. I’ve never given Joseph much though before but this monologue really hit home. Joseph was cheated out of being a father. How must that have felt? To know that his fiance was pregnant, but not with his child. His name would never be included in Jesus family tree. He raised Jesus as his own. Taught him the family business. Loved him. But he wasn’t his son. What an amazing man. Godfather to God, as the passage puts it. Joseph really should get more airtime at Christmas instead of being overlooked as he so often is.
I couldn’t read it out because I had to keep stopping to compose myself. It is such a moving piece. I really want to use it on Christmas Eve but I doubt I’ll be able to read it without crying.