Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.  2 Peter 3.8-9

I’m very fascinated by the idea of time.  There are different ways time is perceived. As ‘linear’ – the way we live, day to day, from the past to the present to the future.  Or as ‘cyclical’ – following the seasons, measuring the years by the reign of the monarch – the way people understood time in the centuries before the industrial revolution. Then there is ‘deep’ time – the time of millennia, of aeons, the time of the universe, taking us all the way to the Big Bang… and there is God’s time, which is outside everything in our time-space continuum, where everything is eternally present.

At the level of God’s time, everything is profoundly connected. There is a oneness in creation which is deeper than we can understand, or perceive  – but it’s there, and it provides a grounding for our shared and common life, our care for the world, and our urgent attention to the crises facing the world, in Gaza, in Ukraine, and especially in nature.

One of the many significances of Christmas is that this is the moment when we celebrate the breaking of God’s time into linear time, when, we believe, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Emmanuel. God with us.

On the Second Sunday of Advent, we remember especially John the Baptist – who, as we heard in today’s Gospel, calls people to repentance. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia,  which comes from two Greek words – meta, and noia – meaning beyond and mind.  So, more profoundly than the idea of turning away from sin is the idea that we are being called to live with a new mind, beyond that which we are used to – to live, perhaps, in God’s time. In a new way, which is connected, transformed, just and loving.

We try to live out that deep unity, that new mind, here at St John’s. For example, on Thursday morning, I spent time supporting one of the homeless people who spends a lot of time in the churchyard – and then I welcomed the Mayor of London who was launching a Rough Sleepers’ Charter – and then members of the congregation went and sang O Come, All Ye Faithful and other carols on Lower Marsh. It felt like a good expression of our values and hopes.

What we do with the whole of our lives matters – that’s why  we are suggestion a Rule of Life as a way forward – because it brings together all the different parts of life.

Part of that is about what we do with our money

As we approach Christmas, the consumer gospel reaches peak frenetic exposure. All those adverts encouraging us to spend money – yes, on presents – but will they create the satisfaction promised?

Consumption! Capital! Christmas! Does spending bring happiness?

Or are we being called to reorder our priorities?

In that context I give deep thanks to everyone who supports St John’s – because without that finance we would be unable to do what we do.

It costs about £250k/year to keep the church open. That includes heat, light, insurance, paying into the Diocese, supporting our community work, charitable giving to Christian Aid, USPG and the Lent Call and whatever else we want to do, insurance, staff…  it’s a lot!  We don’t get anything from the centre – in fact we support other churches – and the C of E’s investments are nearly all tied up in pension provision. So we have to support ourselves and all our work.

The congregation give about £100k/year, which is a really good figure – but it still means that we are being subsidised by our lettings and bookings, to the tune of £150k/year

In the run-up to Christmas, that feast of consumption – during Advent-  I encourage you to think about what we do with our money.

Could you start a standing order, or increase your existing standing order? The C of E recommends giving 5% of your income after tax and NI – £5 in every £100 you take home or £50 in every £1,000.

Or could you make a bequest?? Legacies are really helpful – we received a legacy during the renovation project which made a huge different. Christian Aid  interviewed me recently for a video about what a good thing leaving a legacy can be –  it can be watched here

There are full details about how to donate here- including our bank details

God’s time means that we are living in the Reign of God already. Living in the Kingdom.

Do we believe that? Do we live as if we believe that? Are we living as though we have a new mind?

Thank you, again, for all your support for our work. And for being here.  Let me end with some more verses from our first reading:

But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. (1 Peter 3.14-15)