Advent 1: You are a Gift
30 November 2025
Bible readings
Psalm 122
For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
Matthew 24:36–44
Therefore you also must be ready...
Songs and hymns
- Advent candles tell their story (StF 165)
- Christmas is coming (StF 166)
- Come, thou long expected Jesus (StF 169)
- Hills of the north, rejoice (StF 171)
- Lo, he comes with clouds descending (StF 177)
- Sing we the King who is coming to reign (StF 185)
Opening liturgy
Gift-giving God, may Advent be for us a time of giving and receiving
Lord God of this Advent season, of every season, every day, minute and second, give us, we pray, the gift of peace in this season of Advent.
Bring peace to the world, but also bring peace within each of us.
Gift-giving God, may Advent be for us a time of giving and receiving
Lord God, we give ourselves afresh to you as we step into Advent.
Let us iron the crumples and the creases from our lives so that we may be the best gift that we can be.
Gift-giving God, may Advent be for us a time of giving and receiving
May we start today and not wait to become, and to be, the person/people you want us to be, so that we can give the best that we can of you and ourselves, to those around us.
Gift-giving God, may Advent be for us a time of giving and receiving.
Symbol: Wrapped up present
Background notes
Psalm 122
Psalm 122 is a pilgrim song, traditionally sung on the journey to a festival in Jerusalem. The very name ‘Jerusalem’ holds within it the word shalom: peace. Jerusalem is the city of peace,(1) a gift from God. A gift that was originally for Israel, but also, as envisioned in Isaiah 2, for all people.(2)
In verses 6–9, the psalm becomes a prayer for the city’s wellbeing: for its security, peace and prosperity. These ancient prayers stand in sharp contrast to the historical and present-day reality of Jerusalem, a city too often marked by conflict and instability. Yet the psalm invites us to imagine and pray for an alternative story: one in which Jerusalem, and by extension all communities, become places of shalom. Places where peace is not just hoped for, but lived. Places that are a gift to all who dwell there.(3)
This Advent, we invite you to enact that vision by delivering cards to your neighbours. A simple gesture, but one that recognises them as a gift to your local community. In doing so, you proclaim the prophetic truth: this too can be a place of peace and wellbeing.
Matthew 24:36–44
This is a challenging passage. It gathers several sayings of Jesus, each carrying a strong sense that something significant is coming, though we don’t know when. The message is simple, but searching: be ready.
Verse 36 includes a notable textual variation: “nor the Son” appears in some manuscripts of Matthew but is missing in others, as well as in the parallel passages in Mark and Luke. This phrase was historically controversial and fuelled early denials of the equality within the Trinity of Father and Son. And yet, precisely because it would have been uncomfortable for the early church, its inclusion lends authenticity. Difficult or ‘awkward’ sayings are more likely to be genuine – less likely to be invented. Some modern scholars interpret this phrase as part of Christ’s kenosis – his willing selfemptying during the incarnation.
Verses 40–41 show pairs of people doing everyday tasks – one is taken, one left. The meaning is ambiguous. Is it better to be taken or left? When read alongside the reference to Noah, where those taken by the flood perished, we might conclude that being left behind is preferable.
Think of preparing a gift. Before you can give it, there’s usually some work to do: removing packaging, peeling off the price label, maybe taking off a sale sticker. As followers of Jesus, called to be a gift to the world, Advent is a time to consider what in us needs removing. What attitudes, habits or distractions need peeling away? What doesn’t belong in the gift?
Jesus says we must be ready for the coming of the Son of Man. As Advent begins, we reflect on what that means – not with fear, but with hope. We are being made ready, refined and wrapped in grace, to be given as gifts of peace to the world.
(1) Artur Weiser, The Psalms (1962) London: SCM, p. 750–751.
(2) Walter Brueggemann and William H Bellinger, Psalms, (2014) New York: Cambridge University Press, p. 528.
(3) Brueggemann and Bellinger, Psalms, p. 530.
Questions for discussion
Peace as a gift
Psalm 122 is a prayer for peace – shalom – for Jerusalem and beyond.
- Where do you see glimpses of shalom in your local community?
- What small acts can we offer this Advent to help our neighbourhood become a place of peace?
- How might a simple card to a neighbour be a prophetic act?
A city for all people
Jerusalem, once a gift for Israel, is envisioned in Isaiah as a gift for all peoples.
- What would it look like for your community (or church) to be a gift to everyone – including those who feel excluded or unwelcome?
- How can we help our spaces become places of belonging?
Becoming a gift
The heart of both passages is about transformation: from individuals on a journey to a city of peace; from daily routines to readiness for Christ.
- How might you become more of a gift to those around you this Advent?
- What practical or prayerful commitments could you take up to prepare the way for peace?
Peeling back the packaging
Before giving a gift, we often need to remove the wrapping, tags or clutter.
- What needs to be removed from your life this Advent to make you more fully available to God and others?
- Are there fears, distractions, or attachments that keep you from being fully present?
Hands-on activities
Thank you cards for the community
Materials: Blank cards (Gifted thank you cards can be ordered from Methodist Publishing), pens, stickers, stamps, envelopes.
Activity: Invite participants to write cards to deliver to neighbours, local workers, or community spaces. For example, you could write:
Thank you for always taking the time to make me a cuppa and have a good chat, I always feel better after our talks. Thank you for the time you spend fixing things rather than throwing them away. Thank you for the kindness you show every client at the food bank, always asking their name and putting them at ease.
Reflection: Discuss how this small gesture can proclaim the prophetic truth that this too can be a place of peace.
Peeling back the packaging
Materials: Luggage tags, pens, ribbon, small stickers.
Activity: On one side of the tag, write or draw something God is ‘removing’ or refining in you this Advent (eg impatience, fear, distraction). On the other side, name a gift God is growing in you (eg kindness, hope, courage). Hang these on a display board or Advent tree.
Reflection: Connect with the idea that being made ready includes peeling away what doesn’t belong in the gift.
Refining fire candle craft
Materials: Tealight candles, tissue paper, glue, fine markers.
Activity: Decorate candle holders with words like ‘hope’, ‘ready’, ‘peace’ or with images of flames and stars. As the candle is lit, it becomes a reminder of the refining light of Christ preparing us to be a gift to the world.
Reflection: Use during quiet reflection or a time of confession and commitment
Prayer ideas
Blessing the cards
As you prepare to send the Gifted thank you cards to your neighbours, pray that God will use these cards to touch the hearts of those who receive them in a meaningful and powerful way.
Prayer of thanksgiving for our gifts
Invite the congregation to silently reflect on one personal gift or talent they have received from God. Then pray aloud: “God of abundant grace, thank you for the gifts you have placed within each of us – gifts of kindness, wisdom, courage, creativity and love. May we cherish these gifts and share them freely, knowing that through us, your love is made visible in the world. Amen.”
Intercessory prayer: Gifts for our neighbours
Pray for the people in your community and church, focusing on how each person is a gift to those around them. For example:
“We pray for our neighbours who bring joy, support and care to our community. Help us to see and celebrate their gifts. Guide us in using our gifts to build a neighbourhood where everyone feels valued and loved.”
Global prayers
There are over 80 million Methodists worldwide and the Methodist Church in Britain has over 100 partner churches and organisations around the globe. We represent an incredibly diverse and creative part of God’s kingdom. A gift!
Loving God,
From Pacific Ocean waves to mountains of South America,
from American highways to bustling African cities,
from huge Korean prayer meetings to small European village churches,
diversity of language, worship, words and theology,
creativity of song, liturgy, education, justice and evangelism,
we praise you and we thank you for the gift you make us.
The gift of being a community of faith, the gift of each other, the gift we can be to our communities as we share God’s love for all with neighbours near and far.
Amen.
The good news to get across
This Advent, don’t just wait – prepare. Let God peel back what’s not needed. And as you’re refined, reshaped and wrapped in grace – become a gift. A gift of peace to your neighbour. A gift of justice in your community. A gift of love in a world that’s longing for hope. This is the call of Advent: Be ready. Be real. Be the gift.
Ways people can respond
Write a Gifted thank you card and deliver it to someone.