ChurchofScotlandOnlineAdvent2015
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Thisdocumentcontainsareadabletranscriptofeachoneofthex24Adventvideos.Thesefollowinchronologicalorderfromdayonetoday24oftheAdventandwiththerelevantMinisternamed.
1.DayOne,1stDecember;TheModerator,TheRightRevDrAngusMorrison
“Arise,shine,yourlighthascome.”–Isaiah60:1
2.DayTwo,2ndDecember;RevKateReynolds
‘InthetendercompassionofourGod,thedawnfromonhighshallbreakuponus,toshineonthosewhodwellindarknessandtheshadowofdeath,andtoguideourfeetintothewayofpeace’-Luke1.78-80
3.DayThree,3rdDecember;RevTommyMacNeilChristmasisGod’s‘Yes’totheworld.
AreyoulookingforwardtoChristmas?Itwasn’tagoodtimeforme.Godcametomeandsaid,‘Mary,Ihavechosenyoubecauseyouarepureandhavefoundfavourwithme.‘
IwasshockedthatGod’s‘Yes’totheworldwouldmeanmegivingbirthtohisson.MyfiancéewantedtodivorcemeandintheeyesofothersIwasthemotherofanillegitimatesonbutIdiscoveredGod’s‘Yes’tousmeanshe’swithusinoursorrow,pain,tearsandrejection.
Whateverchallengesyou’refacing,Godhasalreadysaid‘Yes’toyou,allyouhavetodoissay‘Yes’tohim.
ChristmasisGod’s‘Yes’toyou.
Basedon"IamtheLord'sservant,"Maryanswered."Mayitbetomeasyouhave said."-Luke 1v38
4.DayFour,4thDecember;RevLizHenderson
“OJoythatseekestmethroughpain,Icannotclosemyhearttothee;Itracetherainbowthroughtherain,Andfeelthepromiseisnotvain,Thatmornshalltearlessbe.”
Fromthehymn‘OLoveThatWillNotLetMeGo’.MynameisSkyeDodds,Iam9andIliveinNiddrie.
Iputadoveonthetreebecauseitissomeonewhohaspassedawayandyou’dliketorememberthem.
Mymum’snamewasLisaandshewas39whenshedied.
Somepeoplecomeandtellmethatshewasreallynice,kindandshewouldhelppeopleandkeepthemsafe.
MerryChristmasmum.
5.DayFive,5thDecember;RevJonathanFleming
"WelcomeoneanotherjustasChristhaswelcomedyou."-Romans15:7
6.DaySix,6thDecember;RevAmandaMcQuarrie
“Iwashungryandyougavemefood,Iwasthirstyandyougavemesomethingtodrink,Iwasastrangerandyouwelcomedme,Iwasnakedandyougavemeclothing…”–Matthew25:35-36
7.DaySeven,7thDecember;RevRoddyHamilton
"Theeyesoftheblindshallbeopened…"-Isaiah35:5
8.DayEight,8thDecember;RevMary-AnnRennie
"Howsilently,howsilently,thewondrousgiftisgiven! SoGodimpartstohumanheartstheblessingsofhisheaven."
From"OLittleTownofBethlehem"
9.DayNine,9thDecember;RevDaveRankinJesuswenttoliveinacitycalledNazareth.
PhilipwenttolookforNathanaelandtoldhim,“WehavefoundtheverypersonMosesandtheprophetswroteabout.
HisnameisJesus,thesonofJosephfromNazareth.”
“Nazareth!”exclaimedNathanael.“CananythinggoodcomefromNazareth?”WhereisyourNazareth?WherewouldyoubesurprisedtofindGod?
BasedonJohn145-46
10.DayTen,10thDecember;RevStellaCampbell"FornothingwillbeimpossiblewithGod."-Luke1:37
WordsthatGabrielgavetoMary,wordsthatechodownthroughthegenerationssinceAbrahamandSarah.
SkeneWarMemorialhasamysteryattachedtoit.Ayoungmanwhocamehomeunexpectedlyandthereisagrovewherehisnameusedtobe.
Jesus’sbirthisnotonlyunexpectedandsurprising,inmanywaysitisalsoimpossibleandthat’swhyGabriel’swordsareasimportantnowastheywerethen.
BecausenothingisimpossiblewithGod.
11.DayEleven, 11thDecember; Rev TonyStephen
“Thegrasswithers,theflowerfades,butthewordofourGodwillstandforever”
–Isaiah40:7
12.DayTwelve,12thDecember
Filmbasedonthecarol‘IntheBleakMidwinter’.
13.DayThirteen,12thDecember;RevDrGrantBarclay“Letthesearoar,andallthatfillsit!”–Psalm98:7
14.DayFourteen,14thDecember;RevSallyFoster-Fulton
Asthesacredstorysays,‘InthedaysofKingHerodafterJesuswasborninBethlehemofJudea,wisemenfromtheEastcame,asking,“WhereisthechildwhowasbornKingoftheJews,forwewouldliketocomeandpayhimhomage.”
Theystartedearly.Theyfollowedthestarandtheylookedforthelight.Andsothestorycontinues.
BasedonMatthew2:1-2
15.DayFifteen,15thDecember;DrJohnMcCulloch
Hearthevoiceofonewhocriesinthewilderness,preparethewayoftheLord.
Thatthehumblemaybelifted,thebrokenheartedcomforted,theoppressedliberated,therefugeewelcomedandthattheprinceofpeacemaybeborninusandinourworld.
BasedonIsaiah40:3
16.DaySixteen,16thDecember;RevJayneScottNowisthetimetowakeupfromsleep.
Wakeuptotheneedsoftheworld.WakeuptoGod’ssurprise.
Wakeuptothewonderofcreation.WakeuptoGod’sgoodgifts.
Basedon'Nowisthemomentforyoutowakefromsleep.'Romans13:11
17.DaySeventeen,17thDecember;VeryRevJohnChalmers
Basedonthepoem"LovecamedownatChristmas”byChristinaRosetti“LovecamedownatChristmas”,butwho,otherthantheminister,getsto
witnessthesharingofthatloveasitismarkedintheexchangeofvows,inthegivingofrings,intheclose-upglancejustbeforethebrideandgroomsealitwithakissandsetoutontheadventureoflifetogether…?
Iwouldn’ttradetheministryoftheChurchforanything–it’stheplacewhereIhaveexperienced,atfirsthand,thewayinwhichthelovethatcamedownonthefirstChristmas,keepscomingdowntoearthagainandagain,sustainingusintimesofsorrowandfillinguswithhopeintimesofjoy.
18.DayEighteen,18thDecember;RevDrAlistairDonald
“Manypeopleswillcomeandsay,‘LetusgouptothemountainoftheLord,tothehouseoftheGodofJacob.Hewillteachushiswayssothatwemaywalkinhispaths.”
Isaiah2:3
19.DayNineteen,19thDecember;RevDrMarjoryMacLean
StJameswrote,“(Bepatient)Thefarmerwaitsforthepreciouscropfromtheearth”–James5:7
InourfarmlandsinEastPerthshirefarmerswaitformonthsforacropofbarleyorwinterwheattocomejustrightforharvest.
IntheOldTestamentprophetsandordinaryfaithfulpeoplewaitedforgenerationsforGod’spromisetocomefullytrue.
AndinadventChristianpeoplewait,waitjustdaysforthemostpreciousthingthateverwastoarrive,tocomebysurpriseandyetawaitedforsuchalongtime.
Andsowewaitbusilyandhopefullyandjoyfullyandwonderwhatwillbeaskedofus?
20.DayTwenty,20thDecember;RevNeilDougallTimingiseverything.
Theseboatsaregoingnowhere…….justnow.
Inafewhours’timethetidewillhaveturned,thetimingwillberight.
InGalatianstheapostlePaulsays,“InthefullnessoftimeGodsenthisson,bornofawoman.”ThatfirstChristmas,God’stimingwasspoton.WhenChristcame,thetimingwasperfect.
ThisChristmasmightthetimingberightforyoutoseekGodinanewway,forthefirsttimeoronceagain……?
Basedon"Butwhenthefullnessofthetimecame,GodsentforthHisSon,bornofawoman,bornundertheLaw"-Galatians4:4
21.DayTwentyOne,21stDecember;RevDavidMcNeish
“Thelightshinesinthedarknessandthedarknesscannotovercomeit.”John1:5InOrkneyatthistimeofyearitisdark. Reallydark.
Sometimesitfeelslikethedarknesswillneverend.It’sjustwindandrainanddarkness.
Itsapsatyourstrengthallthiswindandrainanddarkness.
Butnodarknesscanlastforever.Thelightalwayscomes,eveninthemiddleofwinter.
JohnsaysthatJesusislikealightshininginthedarkness.
Alightwecanfollow,alightwecantrust,alighteveninthedarkestofplacesandthedarkestoftimes.
Thelightshinesinthedarknessandthedarknesscannotovercomeit.
22.DayTwentyTwo,22ndDecember;RevDrSheenaOrr
Basedon"TheWordbecamefleshandbloodandmovedintoourneighbourhood."John’sGospelchapter1verse14
Jesus,likeus,wasbornintoafamilyandhisparentswereprobablyhopingthatthingswouldturnoutperfectfortheirson.
Buttherentedhut,thepoorshepherdsasvisitorsandthestigmaofbeingunmarried–thesewereprobablynothowtheythoughtthingswouldturnout.
FormanyprisonersandtheirfamiliesChristmasisjustanotherreminderofthingsnotturningoutastheyhoped,ofthepainofbeingapartandofbeinginaplacenotoftheirchoosing.
Andyetisn’titstrangetothinkthatJesusendedhislifeasaprisoner?
AsIthinkoftherisenJesusinourneighbourhoodsthisChristmas,Iliketothinkofhimvisitingallthosewhoarelockedupandtheirfamilies.
Heknowswhatit’slike,doesn’the?
23.DayTwentyThree,23rdDecember;RevMichaelMairBehold,Isendmymessengerandhewillpreparetheway.Textmessages:
AnnatoCharlotte:“I’mreallysorryforwhatIdid.Pleasecallme,Idon’twanttoloseyouasafriendxx”
AnnatoCharlotte:“Please,I’mreally,reallysorryx”AnnatoCharlotte:“Iwaswrong.Pleaseforgivemex”
CharlottegoestoAnna’shouse:“It’sOKhun,Iforgiveyou!”Anna:“Thankyou.”
BasedonMalachi3:1“Iwillsendmymessenger,whowillpreparethewaybeforeme.”
24.DayTwentyFour,24thDecember;RightRevDrAngusMorrison,
ModeratoroftheGeneralAssemblyoftheChurchofScotland
“Asamothercomfortsherchild,soIwillcomfortyou”–Isaiah66:13IwishyouallaveryhappyChristmas.
YouTubePlaylist:
Inaddition,allthevideossupportingtheonlineAdventareaccessibletowatchandlisteninadedicated‘Advent2015’YouTubeplaylistwithintheChurchofScotlandofficialYouTubechannel.
Theplaylistwillnotrevealallx24videosfromtheoutset.Insteadaninitialsetof7videoswillbeavailablefrom1stDecember,withadditionalvideospublishingduringthemonthofDecember.The‘Advent2015’playlistcanbeaccessedat thislink.