Today’s Advent Reflection is from Bryan Goodwin.
The Agenda for Rejoicing.
Psalm 4
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right!
You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
2 How long, you people, shall my honour suffer shame?
How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent.
5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say, ‘O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!’
7 You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound.
8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
Reflection
Psalm 4 is a night Psalm, which invites us to trust in God to guide us through difficult times, as we lie on our beds, in the expectation and knowledge that God will not desert us, and we can look forward to the comfort and joy with which He will reward us for our trust in him.
Particularly relevant this strange year of 2020, but the news of the last few days, that a Vaccine to protect us from Covid-19, is now here and is amongst us, is good news.
Let us thank God for guiding the wonderful work of the Medical Scientists.
The Psalm itself, for me, brings back memories of my childhood. Born and raised in the inner city of Manchester, in the 1940s, we all lived in row upon row of close packed terraced houses, mostly 2 up 2 down with an outside loo. There I went to the local Church Sunday School, from an early age, once Churches re opened again after the War, and later gradually progressing to become a not very good Chorister.
In my early teens, after Evensong, twice a month, about 12 of us, 3 Teenage boys and 3 girls, with 4/5 adults, led by our Choir Master, would walk a mile or so to Manchester Royal Infirmary, and afterwards each one of us Boys would walk one of the Girls’ home. An added attraction perhaps for us to go and sing, as many a young romance started out as a result.
In the Hospital we would go around the Wards, singing the requests of the Patients. In the weeks up to Advent, especially around Armistice Day, as we used to call it, uppermost in lots of people’s minds in those days following the recently ended War, in every Ward we were always requested to sing “Abide with me”. The Hymn popularised during the Great War, and sung at every Wembley Cup Final since 1927 when Cardiff became the only non-English Team to win the Cup.
In December “God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen” was the popular request in the Male Wards. The former we hoped brought some comfort and hope to Patients, in their pain and distress in Hospital, whilst the latter, with its rousing Chorus and refrain of “Glad Tidings of Comfort and Joy“, speaks for itself.
On Christmas Eve we would sing Carols, including the latter, in the terraced streets around our Church, passing from under one street gaslight to another, so we had enough light to see our Hymnals clearly, and our Vicar with us, would encourage people to come to Church, later that night, or at least on the following day.
All this reminds me that as we are now passing through the darkest days of the year, the short dark days of Winter, we know that it starts to turn to lighter longer days after the Winter Solstice, and that the Light of the World truly is with us on December 25th, when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus.
His arrival was heralded by the bright star that led the Wise Men, and, symbolically, there is a bright star in our night sky on December 21st this year when Jupiter and Saturn are in conjunction, perhaps reminding us that Jesus is the Bright Morning Star. Jesus brought comfort and joy to his faithful followers in Israel, as he proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and that he, as the Messiah, fulfilled the Law of the Prophets, and taught a new message. To love one another as he loved us. For God so loved the world he sent his only Son into our World, our Emmanuel. God with us.
That Message is still being preached today, it is timeless, and underpins all our hope and belief in the comfort and joy that we can bring to others, as well as to ourselves, if we trust in Jesus.
Sadly, today many have forgotten or have never been taught that message of love, salvation, and hope. They are too focussed on the material things of life, and, boy, are there plenty of them these days, to distract us. More perhaps than any other Society has ever had before.
Yet still many people are not happy. They still want more. What more could they want than the comfort and joy of knowing we have a mediator working for us in Heaven with God to hear our Prayers? They miss out on so much. Perhaps we can help them find that comfort and joy this Christmas? Let’s all try anyway by sharing our own comfort and joy to help them.
PS “Abide with me” coincidentally played at the Funeral of our former Reader Claud Metson last Wednesday.