Advent long times of waiting

I’m not usually on holiday in Advent but circumstances have meant our usual pre Advent break had to be later so in Advent! We’ve been in Durham City today. Tonight we went to evening prayer at St Oswald’s Church. 

It wasn’t obvious in the dark and wet where the entrance to the church was so Lis tried the first door we came to which turned out to be the choir vestry. A man (who we later learned was the choirmaster and a Methodist) came to the door. He was somewhat overwhelmed we wanted to join evening prayer. Indeed I don’t think the front door was open! So they were expecting no one apart from the rector, the choirmaster who played the piano, a churchwarden and a lady who used to be a churchwarden who were both doing a reading. 

There was real shock they had people joining them who wanted to come to church. It’s a very worrying thing we’ve stopped expecting new people to join us  and we are so surprised when they come! And yet we moan at the minister no one new is coming!  There’s a challenge to say where the door is and to have a welcome at the door and decent signage telling people how to get in. There’s a church in our circuit where at 6.25 they will tell me everyone is here so we may as well start! 

There were several things that touched me tonight as six of us shared evening prayer. 

One that we were one with many others in large and small groups saying evening prayer tonight. St Oswalds used the 1662 Book of Common Prayer tonight and the Psalms in the authorised version. We had the general confession where we were reminded we are miserable offenders and there is no health in us but that we appeal to God to spare us because we are penitent. I was also conscious we were at one with those who had said the words of evening prayer in the choir stalls we sat in for centuries. Sunday in and Sunday out. (Predictive text altered a sentence just now to I was conscious we ate nostrils!) 

 I noted on the bench in front of my seat were little hands carved out with a knife probably by naughty choirboys. I wonder how long they’d been there? I was also conscious that a Christian community had been on the site we found ourself way before the Norman conquest and maybe the site where the remains of Saint Cuthbert fleeing Lindisfarne got stuck and those carrying him had a vision he be transported to Dun Holm. They had no idea where that was and were helped by a milkmaid searching for her cow. She showed them where to go.

At that site, a bier was placed over Cuthbert’s remains, then a Saxon stone church was built, and finally Durham Cathedral which was founded in 1093. When I sit in churches I always am awestruck thinking of those who have been on holy ground before me.

I was also conscious after I asked the rector how long he’d been there and he said 21 years I was in my second year in Oakham then and it would have taken several reinvitations for me to do that long there!! 

The Gospel reading tonight was of Zechariah and Elizabeth coming to terms with divine intervention. Zechariah like years and years of faithful evening prayer like tonight in Durham was on duty in the temple saying the office, going through the liturgical motions, perhaps expecting nothing to happen. He questions God’s action. He’s struck dumb until his son is born. Elizabeth gives birth and she hides herself away for five months. That’s a lot of time to think about what God might be up to. 

I discovered evening prayer and Evensong when I met Lis and we shared many happy times in Peterborough Cathedral at them. I use the time to rest and refocus and listen. I try and get to them at Ripon Cathedral when I can. We join those before us and those with us doing it in different and diverse settings simply waiting on and listening for God. The Old Testament reading tonight was part of Isaiah 40. The prophet tells his people to behold your God. Wow! 

That’s what we were doing tonight. Beholding our God! The Methodist Church this Advent is thinking about hushing our noise. As we begin the ninth day of Advent might we just faithfully pray, recite and listen? Then maybe God will speak in our silence and show us what he wants us to do and be. 

Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord God,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.