Introduction

In this Advent sermon, Revd Paul Cowley explores the theme of hope in the wilderness—that confident trust in God’s faithfulness even when life feels barren and prayers seem unanswered. Drawing from Isaiah’s vision of blooming deserts, the Psalmist’s praise, James’s call to patience, and John the Baptist’s honest doubts, this message reminds us that Advent hope is not something we achieve but something we receive.

Those are two of the readings that are set for today. As I said, there’s four readings set for today and I’d really recommend that you have a look at them. I’ll mention them and then you can look at them when you get home or later on. So Advent three, it’s really about waiting for hope and all four of the scriptures that are set for today, like I said, talk about hope. But talking and thinking about hope without losing joy. Let me try and explain what I mean by that. Advent three is often called Gaudete, if I’ve pronounced it right. It’s a Latin word, which means rejoice. And I don’t know what you’re like at Christmas. I guess how you feel is how you were brought up at Christmas.

My Christmases as a child, I won’t bore you with it, but they were a bit tricky and a bit complicated. Both my parents were alcoholics and it was a bit of a complicated time with a lot of drink and a lot of people, and a lot of movement. And for me as a kid, not a lot of fun.

So that word of rejoice, I have to really dig in, and force myself sometimes to be rejoiceful because like I said, if you’re anything like me, the run up to Christmas doesn’t always feel especially joyful. It feels busy. It feels loud, feels expensive, slightly panicky, countdown.

And, my wife would say with listening to sermons of mine over years about Christmas, she would say, all I wanna say when you finish speaking is bah humbug. So I can be a little bit like that, but not always. Not always. So it can be a tricky time, but Advent’s not simply about counting down the days like I’m trying to mention now till that one day happens and all the panic and everything.

It is about preparing, not just preparing how many chairs do we need, how many chickens do we need, what we’re gonna do, how many relatives are gonna come, or all that sort of stuff. It’s about preparing ourselves spiritually, and we get a few weeks to do that. God is very gracious with us. For the arrival of the one who brings hope, Jesus.

He is the hope bringer, the hope carrier. That’s what the Christian faith is about. For those who would call ourselves Christians in here, that’s what we are carriers of hope, whether we like it or not, whether we feel like it or not, we’re meant to bring peace, joy, love, and hope into every sort of area in and out of season.

It’s also the season of expectation and anticipation. Again, we’re waiting for something and we know something’s going to happen. Advent reminds us that God keeps his promises. There’s a verse in the Bible that says, God is not a man. He does not lie. So God keeps his promises and he works in ways that often surprises.

I’ve been surprised by him since the day I met him. I was 40 years of age when I became a Christian, and it’s been a surprise most days with him. I don’t know about your relationship with him, but, I sometimes think he has a bit of fun with me. And his plan is far greater than anything we could imagine, that’s for sure.

And that’s the period that we’re in this anticipation in lots of ways. And by the third week of Advent, many of us, are no longer waiting for the coming of Christ. We’re waiting for the moment when we can sit down and eat something that’s not to do with Christmas or maybe to be on our own for a little while away from people, family, and friends.

Again, bah, humbug! Advent, though we are meant to not be under pressure about all those things, we’re about to be preparing our hearts, not just all about the house, not all about the food, not all about the relatives, not all about the stuff, but it’s meant to be all about our heart. I’m speaking to myself as I speak to you and all the four readings tonight speak into that. They really do. They’re amazing. One of them that wasn’t read out is set for today is Isaiah 35. That’s the hope that changes the landscape. Isaiah’s talking about the desert at the time, but you think about your landscape now, what’s in front of you, where you’re going, what’s coming, and Isaiah speaks to people who are really tired.

Fed up, fearful and worn out. Maybe that’s you. Maybe the scripture’s for you. He goes on to say in the reading that, God comes to strengthen the feeble hand, steady the knee that gives way, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom. I don’t think that’s sort of cheap optimism, he’s not trying to do that.

Isaiah isn’t saying, cheer up, get a grip, things aren’t that bad. Look around you, you’re better off than some. He’s not saying that to us. He’s speaking about hope in a wilderness, not just a desert, but wherever we are now. And I’ve known a few deserts in my time. Some people have thought I’m a bit crazy, but I run through deserts.

I really enjoy them. There’s a thing called the Marathon des Sables and I did one last year. It’s a hundred and sixty kilometres I think across the desert, done over four days. People think you’re crazy doing it, and I did it with a friend and I really liked it. So I’m doing another one. So I like deserts.

But they’re not always the best places to, to be in. They’re places where nothing seems to grow. They’re desolate, they’re hot, they’re barren, they’re dry. And that can be like our future sometime where the future feels barren. And what Isaiah reminds us is this, that God doesn’t wait for the desert to improve.

Before he acts in it, he brings life into it. And again, someone who’s walked through it for four days, amazing when your eyes get accustomed to seeing things. That there is life, there is beauty, there’s a lot of things in the desert that you don’t see. Most times you’re there. So Isaiah reminds me of that Advent.

Advent hope is not denial of what’s around us is confident that God is already working, even though we can’t see it is always working for our behalf. The other reading that Marjorie read out, some of it is Psalm 146 set for today. I hope that lifts our heads up a little bit. It makes us a little bit more excited about what’s coming.

The psalmist says Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord. Then it lists all the kind of things in the psalm, the kind of God and what he is that he lifts up the broken hearted, he lifts up the bowed down, he sets the prisoner free. He watches over the vulnerable.

That’s you and me and I spent a lot of my time around people who are vulnerable. And people who the world has written off, including myself at one point. I spend my time, I work in the prison system in the UK, in the justice system. I’m in four prisons a week, and I interview men and women for employment.

So I spend a lot of time with the people, with their heads bowed down, and the Lord does set prisoners free, not just in a justice way. He sets their hearts free. And what I’ve learned in that work over 27, 28 years is that hope can change your heart so much. Again, in Proverbs it says, hope deferred makes the heart sick.

If you haven’t got hope, you’ve got nothing. Nothing at all. And God gives us a hope. And again, the scripture say it’s a hope that doesn’t disappoint. And that’s what I’ve seen in people. It’s a hope that changes where you place your weight. What you rely on, what you depend on going forward. Because this God does not disappoint. The other reading that wasn’t read up.

The third point is James 5. James talks about a hope that waits. Waits for you. Waits for me, waits for us. James tells us, be patient like the farmer who waits for the land to yield its crop. I must confess, being urban all my life and only just moving into the country in the last three years, I’m not very good at farming.

I have no idea what happens. I know a few farmers now and, they’re fun, hardworking people and, quite comical at times. So I’m not good at that. And if God worked on my timetable, I guess most things would be rushed, half done, and probably I’d need to apologise for most of them afterwards. But God has a timetable that works with us.

And again, Advent is waiting. It’s about not being passive, but being alert. James reminds us that growth happens underground long before it’s visible. And again, same thing with the deserts. And a farmer would say he plants and he doesn’t know what’s coming. But again, the scriptures say, faith is believing in those things hoped for and not yet seen.

So hope again. And if you’re in a season now where nothing seems to be happening, where prayers feel unanswered and progress feels sluggish or slow or non-existent, what we have to try and remember, it doesn’t mean that God is absent. He is still there working on your behalf. You just can’t see it yet, but it will come up like those seeds.

And the last point really is, what was read out Matthew 11. A Hope that looks like Jesus. John the Baptist in that scripture sends a message to Jesus in verse three. I think it’s an amazing line. Are you the one who is to come or should we expect someone else? This is a man, now he is in prison, is starting to panic and doubt sets in.

And he knows Jesus. He knows what’s happening, but he’s fearful, he’s scared and he’s panicking and doubt comes out. So he asks him, is it really gonna happen? What you said? I haven’t seen anything yet. I don’t see what’s happening. So even John, this great prophet has doubts. And what I love about Jesus, he doesn’t rebuke him.

He doesn’t throw him a theological essay to digest or anything like that. It doesn’t rebuke him. He says in effect, just have a look around. Can you see what’s happening, John? You’re not looking with eyes. The blind start to see the lame start to walk. The good news is preached to the people. Things are happening, but you’ve just got to look for them.

So hope is not abstract. It has hands, it has feet, it has a voice, and sometimes God sends you to be that hope carrier to other people. Just have a look at the person next to you on your left or right. Just go and have a look at them. Just look at them. So they may be the only thing that God’s got to use to bring you hope.

So what does this mean for us going forward in this mad dash of Christmas again? Bah humbug! It’s a wonderful time. Maybe it means slowing down enough to notice where God is already at work. You may have missed it. You may have run past it. You may not noticed it. You may have put a box on top of it, but he’s there.

He’s there working. It may be letting go of the pressure to make everything perfect. And it will never be perfect, so stop it trying. Just do the best you can. So letting go of that pressure, choosing hope, not because life is easy, but because God is faithful. Advent doesn’t ask us to do more.

It invites us to make room. So as we go into communion this evening, I wanted you to gather those thoughts in your head or reflect on them later. We come as we are imperfect creatures, not perfect, a bit messy, confused, full of doubt, some fears, expectant, and God doesn’t care. Just wants you as you are.

Not calm, not perfect, not organised, and certainly not spiritually impressive. That doesn’t do a lot for him. And he wants to tell you about the good news. God doesn’t wait for us to be calm or organised or anything like that. And that’s a great relief, especially this time of the year and especially with me.

So Advent reminds us that hope is not something we achieve, but something we receive. So going forward, I’d love us as before we go into communion and we sing our next song, the offertory hymn. Let us just pray again. So just bow your heads, close your eyes and let me pray for you. Lord, thank you for tonight’s scriptures that were set hundreds of years ago for us, for Isaiah, who reminds us that deserts can bloom.

For the Psalmist who shows us your heart, for James who teaches us patience and for Jesus who brings hope to every prisoner, to every doubter, to every seeker, to every fearful person. Help us walk towards Christmas with hope and with joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.