This is a talk written for an online Advent Service on Sunday 29th November 2020
A couple of weeks ago I was sent the Order of Service / script for this evening. And I noticed one song
was called “Keep Hauling”. We heard it sung earlier. I wasn’t familiar with it so Googled it. And I found out it was written by Andrew
Cadie and has been performed by the folk group Show of Hands, and by Fisherman’s
Friends.
On the
face of it, it seems an odd choice for an Advent service. But then there’s the
verse I read out before the choir sang
When your guiding
star's in cloudy skies
Keep hauling, keep hauling
You'll find your way to the bright sunrise
Keep hauling, boys
You can hear it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkNwhbyiA4Y
The reason it was played to us was to remind us that when we are called to Jesus’ service, we
are not to look back. We are to look forward. Just as someone ploughing a field
needs to look forward.
Hold on Hold on
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on
Heard the voice of Jesus say
Come unto me, I am the way.
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.
When my way gets dark as night,
I know the lord will be my light,
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.
“Keep your hand on the plow” draws
on a verse in Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus reminds us that if we are to follow
him we need to keep our eyes on him looking forward not back:
62 ‘No one
who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom
of God.’ Luke 9: 62
Keep hauling and Keep your hand to the plow
have the same idea in my view. Keep going. Keep looking forward. It’s tough but
all will be well.
This year has been hard for us all in
so many ways. And I don’t know about you, these last few weeks have been the
hardest. A combination of wet dull days and the nights drawing in have made it
so hard. I get quite grumpy about people putting Christmas decorations up
early. But this year I do understand why
But for me it is important to make
sure Advent is marked. Because Advent tells us so much about our faith. Advent
is the season for “keep hauling” and “keep your hand to the plow”.
Advent is the time when things somehow can seem hard and hopeless. But it is
the time when we look forward in anticipation to the coming of Jesus, the Light
of the World.
When my
way gets dark as night,
I know the lord will be my light,
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.
Earlier we a reading from that great passage of scripture from Isaiah 9
“The
people walking in darkness of seen a great light”.
The foretelling of Christ 700 year saw
before his birth. The people of Israel, witnessing the decline of their
kingdom, sensing the power of the Babylonians who would soon conquer the land
and destroy Jerusalem, those people of Israel walked in darkness. But Isaiah
gave them the prophesy of hope.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
It would be 700 years or so before the child was born. Many generations
of Jewish people waited and wondered if the event would happen. And it did.
For us, the child has been born. For us the son has been
given. We have that hope already.
We may feel that we are living in a
dark time, but we can see the light to guide us. To lead us. To give us hope. We
have the hope that Jesus the light of the world brings. Yes, we still have
darkness around us. Yes, things will remain hard for us for some time. But keep
your eyes on the light.
When love just seems
so far away
Keep haulin', keep haulin'
The tide will flood your heart someday
Keep haulin', boys
When your guidin' star's in cloudy skies
Keep haulin', keep haulin'
You'll find your way to the bright sunrise
Keep haulin', boys
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