Welcome to Westminster Abbey on this Third Sunday of Advent. My name is The Reverend Helena Bickley-Percival, and I am Minor Canon and Sacrist at the Abbey. Today, I’ll be reading the psalm for Advent III, and thinking about what God is like.

A reading from Psalm 146, verses 4-10

Happy are those who have the God of Jacob for their help,

whose hope is in the Lord their God;

Who made heaven and earth,

the sea and all that is in them;

who keeps his promise for ever;

Who gives justice to those that suffer wrong

and bread to those who hunger.

The Lord looses those that are bound;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous;

The Lord watches over the stranger in the land;

he upholds the orphan and widow;

but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.

The Lord shall reign for ever,

your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.

Alleluia.

Who is this King of Glory? Already that question sets up some expectations about who God might be. We are used to seeing Kings with Crowns and Sceptres and Swords – all the apparatus of worldly authority and power, glorious with gold and jewels. If we were planning an event, that is the sort of person that you would wait around for, prepare for, excitedly (perhaps even nervously) expect.

On this Third Sunday of Advent, that joyous expectation is heightened. Known as Gaudete Sunday, or “Rejoice Sunday,” it takes its name from a text traditionally sung on that day: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice’ (Phil 4:4-7). It marks a shift from solemn preparation to the eager expectation that Christ will be here soon – as the Philippians reading says ‘The Lord is near.’

We expect him, but who will be arriving? Our portion of Psalm 146 gives us a clue. The psalmist describes God as Lord and creator, but they also make it clear what kind of Lord God is. He is a God that cares for the most vulnerable; giving food to the hungry, justice to the oppressed, and upholding the orphan and widow. Not only that, but he is a God ‘who keeps faith for ever.’ All our waiting and expectation is not in vain – in Advent we await not only the birth of Christ at Christmas, but his coming again, and Christ will come. We wait for a God who will not let us down, and who cares for all no matter whether they are strangers or the righteous. In this, we can surely rejoice.

Thank you for joining me for this reflection. This is part of a series of reflections, each Sunday in Advent leading up to Christmas. To find out more about Advent and Christmas at the Abbey and how you can take part, wherever you are, visit our website at www.westminster-abbey.org/Advent.