Advent is a season of holy tension. It draws us to look back—to the miracle of the incarnation, when God took on flesh and entered the brokenness of our world. But it also points us forward, to the return of Christ, when all things will be made new. This dual vision—past and future—invites us to live fully in the present, aware of both the beauty and the pain of creation, and filled with a hope that propels us to act.
Today, as we wait and watch, we cannot ignore the groaning of creation. Climate breakdown is one of the starkest signs of a world out of joint. The planet that God called “very good” now bears the scars of exploitation—rising seas, scorching heat, disappearing forests, and dying species. These are not abstract tragedies; they are the realities of our time, and they disproportionately harm the poorest and most vulnerable. In this, we see the brokenness not only of the earth but also of our human relationships—with God, with one another, and with the world God entrusted to our care.
The Incarnation: God in the Dust
Yet Advent reminds us that this is precisely the world into which God entered. The incarnation is not just a past event; it is a declaration of God’s love for all creation. In Jesus, the Word became flesh—not in some distant, untouchable way, but in the dust and grit of human life. God chose to dwell in the fragility of this world, to sanctify its matter, and to reveal its worth.
This means that God’s commitment to creation is unshakable. The incarnation declares that matter matters—that the earth and everything in it is sacred. As we reflect on the manger in Bethlehem, we see that God does not abandon what he has made, even when it is broken. Instead, he enters it to redeem and restore.
The Second Advent: Hope for a New Creation
Advent also points us forward, to the promise of Christ’s return. In a world facing ecological devastation, this promise takes on a deeper significance. Scripture tells us that creation itself longs for liberation, waiting for the day when it will be set free from its bondage to decay (Romans 8:21). This is not a vague, distant hope—it is the heartbeat of our faith.
But this hope is not passive. The promise of a new creation does not absolve us of our responsibility to care for the world God has made. Instead, it compels us to act—to live as those who know that this world, though broken, is beloved by its Creator. As we wait for Christ to return and make all things new, we are called to live out that hope through lives of care, compassion, and courage.
An Advent Invitation
In this season of waiting, we are invited to hold together lament and hope. We lament the harm we have done to God’s world, the violence we have inflicted on the earth, and the suffering it causes. But we also proclaim the hope that God has not finished with his creation. The same Christ who came as a child in Bethlehem will come again to restore the heavens and the earth.
As we light the Advent candles and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, let us also prepare our hearts and hands for the work of caring for creation. Let our worship lead us to action, our wonder to responsibility. And let us embody the love of Christ for the world he came to save.
Father of Creation,
God of Hope,
We marvel at the sacred mystery of faith,
The incarnation,
The enfleshment of your son
Fully God,Fully Man,
Jesus,
To him be all praise and glory.
Father of Creation,
God of Hope
We marvel at the sacred mystery of faith,
Word became flesh,
Love became dust,
Beauty revealed,
Jesus,
To him be all praise and glory.
Your life, O Lord, which has bubbled up from eternity,
Has now stepped into time.
Your love, O Lord, which created a world of wonder,
Pitched a tent and took up the human cause.
And yet our Christmas carols,
Our Advent anthems,
And joyous joy at incarnationIs conjoined with songs of lamentation.
For a world plunging headlong into climate devastation.
Lord Jesus Christ,
You took on flesh,
But we took up the sword of ecological violence.
Lord Jesus Christ,
You sanctified dust and walked this cosmic temple,
But we plundered and pillaged your Father’s world.
Lord Jesus Christ,
You welcomed the weak and loved the lost,
But we turned our backs on the world’s most vulnerable.
Maranatha,Come Lord Jesus,
Bring your justice,
Set the world to rights
But Lord, remember mercy.
Maranatha,Come Lord Jesus ,
Bring your justice,
Set the world to rights
But Lord, remember mercy.
Father of Creation,
God of Hope,
We thank you that the birth of Jesus,
The incarnation,
Shows that matter matters,
That everything is spiritual.
To you be all praise and glory.
Father of Creation,God of Hope,
Equip your church afresh to behold the holy mystery,
May our wonder and our worship of the enfleshment of God
Lead to lives of care, compassion and service
For the world, you came to save.
May we wait for the return of your Son,
Jesus, the God-Man,
with Embodied Love,
Embodied Hope,
&Embodied Peace.
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus
Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus
Amen
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