On the first Sunday of Advent, we find ourselves in a unique position: standing both at the beginning and at the end, precisely at the turning-point of the liturgical year. This peculiar experience of living within a paradox is a characteristic of the Christian faith. Perhaps the greatest paradox of Advent, however, is the tension between the joyous anticipation of the birth of Jesus and the inevitability of the cross.

In one sense, Advent does not end at Christmas. The nativity, the Incarnation, cannot be separated from the crucifixion, the Atonement. The purpose of Jesus' coming into the world, of the "Word made flesh" and dwelling among us is to reveal God and His grace to the world through Jesus' life and teaching, but also through his suffering, death, and resurrection. So, at the beginning, we think about the end.

The readings reflect this emphasis on Christ's second coming and include themes of accountability, judgment, and the hope of eternal life. The course of the service traces the witness of the prophets, of John the Baptist and of Mary, all of whom point us towards the birth of Jesus.

Later in the service, we hear the words of Jesus in Matthew's gospel, exhorting us to be vigilant and to prepare for His second coming. At the end of the service, Charles Wesley's hymn sums up all that we have learned and reminds us of the paradox of our faith. In the words of T.S. Eliot,