Day 1 - Introduction
..."and hear the Angels sing". In a normal year, Christmas is a season of singing: Carol Services and concerts, Christmas Songs played on repeat in the shops, the annual race to be at the top of the charts for Christmas. 2020 will be somewhat different - if nothing else, the fact that we are not able to gather together to sing will make a difference to many. And yet, there will still be songs, and singing: and there is still reason to raise our voices in praise and thanksgiving.
Look back, just over 2000 years, to a small part of the Roman Empire. A priest called Zechariah prepared for his duties in the Temple; in Nazareth, Joseph the Carpenter bent to his hard physical work, and thought about his approaching marriage; meanwhile, the young woman who was his betrothed wondered what sort of husband he would be. Out on the hills, shepherds carried on their work of protecting their master's flocks. Normal people, doing normal things, and hoping that the Romans would leave them be. The lands of the Jewish people were no longer their own; the Roman occupiers imposed their will upon the people and there was the threat of a census - a demonstration of their power over their subjects. Herod was King, but only because Rome was sure of his loyalty to the Emperor. Meanwhile, most just kept on going with their heads down, hoping for a quiet life. Over the days of Advent, we're going to remember where the Angels fit into this picture - of how they came, bringing messages that were sometimes disturbing, but also full of hope, of Good News. Hark! Can you hear them? Even now, they are still raising their voices in praise and worship. Will you hear the Angels sing?
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