On this Third Sunday of Advent, Fr Sam reflects on a simple but searching question: Why does the Church exist? Drawing on the preaching of John the Baptist and the story of God’s covenant with Abraham, this episode explores how faith not heritage, status, or tradition is the true foundation of belonging to God.

Set against the backdrop of the Barnet Christmas Fair, the sermon reminds us that the Church exists not for itself, but to welcome those who feel on the outside, offering grace, belonging, and the hope of Christ to anyone with even the smallest spark of faith. Advent becomes a call to reject complacency, widen the circle of welcome, and make Christ known through love, hospitality, and mission.

In this powerful Second Sunday of Advent reflection, Fr Sam asks a deeply searching question: Why does the Church exist? As St John the Baptist Church prepares to welcome hundreds of people through its doors for the Barnet Christmas Fair, this sermon reframes community activity not as tradition or visibility but as mission.

Drawing on the fierce preaching of John the Baptist and the theology of St Paul in Romans, Sam challenges the danger of religious complacency. Just as the crowds at the Jordan assumed their birthright as children of Abraham made them secure, we too can fall into the trap of believing that history, culture, or status make us the Church. But John’s warning is clear: belonging to God is not about heritage it is about faith and relationship.

Through the story of Abraham, Sam traces the widening circle of God’s covenant: from one man, to a family, to a nation, and ultimately to the whole world. Faith, not background, is the true foundation of righteousness. This means that anyone with even the smallest spark of belief belongs and the Church exists for precisely those people who think they might be on the outside.

The Barnet Christmas Fair becomes a living parable of this truth: the Church does not exist for itself, its building, its history, or even its traditions it exists to make Christ known, to make people feel they belong, and to make strangers feel like family.

This episode is a stirring reminder that Advent is not only about preparation for Christmas, it is about recommitting to the mission of welcome, grace, and outward-looking love.

In this Advent Sunday episode, Fr Sam invites us to rediscover the season not as a gentle lead-up to Christmas, but as a wake-up call. While we may picture the nativity as a comforting scene with children’s costumes and soft candlelight, Sam reminds us that the real story was anything but safe or sentimental. God entered the world through poverty, scandal, political oppression, and refugee displacement — and this shocking reality shapes what Advent truly means.

Drawing on Matthew 24, Isaiah’s prophecy, and Paul’s exhortation in Romans, Sam explains that Advent begins not in the manger but with urgency: “Be ready.” Jesus’ title “Son of Man” ties His birth to ancient prophecy, reminding us that God’s work in the world is always bigger, more surprising, and more disruptive than our expectations.

Through this sermon, we’re confronted with a three-fold Advent calling:

1. Be ready for God’s new, unexpected work — in refugees, the poor, the overlooked, and the places we least expect to find Him.
2. Live differently because Christ entered our world — letting the nativity reshape our actions, words, priorities, and compassion.
3. Rely on grace, not self-reliance — trusting God to clothe us with righteousness rather than trying to earn it.

Advent becomes a season of awakening — a summons to look for God among the vulnerable in our own community, to embody hope for the hurting, and to join the Holy Spirit’s work of drawing all people into God’s peace.