Stress Tests!

Christmas is coming, and the stress levels are rising!

The Coop Bank has failed the Bank of England stress test, showing that it might not survive another financial crisis. Lloyds and RBS didn't do very much better.

The Russian economy looks to be struggling, as the value of the rouble has plunged, and their interest rates have jumped up to 17%. That will produce stress.

The UK Footsie 100 index is sliding downwards, having lost 7.5% value in just over a week. 

As Christmas is looming, for many families struggling with 'normal life', the extra expectations to spend money they haven't got on presents and food they do not need will mean stress levels will rise. 

And then there are all the Christmas parties, with too much drink, and the temptations to behave disgracefully, and then the consequences! 

The season of Advent reminds us that there are bigger issues to address. The special Advent prayer takes us back to look at deeper matters. 

'Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of
darkness, and put on the armour of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit
us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come
again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the
dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
for ever. Amen.'

The basis for this prayer comes from Paul's letter to his friends in Rome.

'Time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armour of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.' (Romans 13.9-14)

Paul addresses many of this week's stress issues. 

As we think ahead to the coming of Jesus - both his first coming in great humility, and his second coming in glorious majesty - we can see that our lives could be different from the way of the world. We must do what we must do - remove the dark deeds, and put on the presence of Jesus.

That would make a difference for all we meet these days.

Best wishes,

Richard