Archives: Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? #4
Reflections and Worship
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"MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD. . ."
Reflections by Tom Hall
Services and Activities by Julie Peeples and Paul Davis
Reflections for Advent and the Christmas Season
- Authors
-
Introduction
- First Sunday of Advent (Participating in the Kingdom to Come)
- Second Sunday of Advent (Preparing Our Hearts for the King)
- Third Sunday of Advent (Practicing Unselfish Abandon)
- Fourth Sunday of Advent (Promises of a New Social Order)
- Christmas Eve/Day (The Inn and the Hillside)
- Christmas I (Preparing for Ministry)
- Epiphany (Recognizing God's Presence in All)
Reflections for Advent and the Christmas Season
"MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD. . ."
About the Authors
Tom Hall, formerly a Southern Baptist minister and the Director of Affiliate Education at Habitat for Humanity, is now deceased.
[[Julie Peeples, a United Church of Christ minister, and Paul Davis, an American Baptist minister, are the chaplains at Habitat for Humanity.]]
INTRODUCTION
Centered on the lectionary readings, these seven sessions are designed for weekly use beginning the first week of Advent and ending with Epiphany. Set aside time each week for reflection, worship and action. During each session, you may want to read over the reflection then do the services and activities. However, you can design each session to meet the needs of participants.
For each week, review the Bible passages listed and read over the reflection, either individually or as a group. As you do the service assign each of the participants to read aloud one of the paragraphs or, if you are observing the service alone, read the entire service aloud. Activities can also be tailored to meet individual needs or the needs of your particular group. You will need to bring a Bible, an Advent wreath and matches to each of the sessions. In addition, read over the services and activities beforehand to determine what other materials you might need.
Before Advent begins, you will need to construct an Advent wreath. The wreath can be made with a variety of materials. One way that avoids the use of styrofoam is as follows: Take a large flat shallow bowl (at least nine inches in diameter) and fill it with sand or coarse salt. Place four purple candles around the edge of the bowl. Place a large candle, either red or white to symbolize Christ, in the center. Stick the candles down in the sand or salt so that they are placed securely. Make a circle of evergreens and place them around the bowl. Place your finished wreath in a prominent place where it can stay throughout the season.
FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Participating in the Kingdom to Come
FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT: Jeremiah 33:14-16, Luke 21:25
REFLECTION
The passages for these first Advent readings are centered on the two words "watch" and "wait." There is a wonderful promise in Jeremiah: "See, the days are coming-it is Yahweh who speaks-when I am going to fulfill the promise I made to the House of Israel and the House of Judah. In those days and at that time, I will make a virtuous branch grow for David, who shall practice honesty and integrity in the land." Think of it, honesty and integrity rampant in the land!
There is a companion promise given in Luke 21:28: "When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand." We are reminded here to prepare for Christ's return to earth. It will be a time of liberation.
Christ's return will mark the time when God's kingdom will be fully realized. We know that God's kingdom is in part with us now because we know about the birth of the Christ Child. However, we know that God's kingdom is not yet fully matured on the earth. That is the reason for our waiting. We are waiting for the kingdom, now only in its infancy, to be fully known. Wait, watch, be alert.
There is wonderful news for us this Advent: As part of our waiting exercise, we can and must participate in the very kingdom that we await. This kingdom is not complete mystery to us. We have some glimpses, some real clues, into the way God's kingdom will be when it is fulfilled. Unlike any other place in human activity, here we can wait for something while at the same moment we can participate in it. We are a part of God's kingdom to be fulfilled.
The biblical writers used a number of characteristics to describe God's kingdom, including justice, honesty, righteousness integrity and liberation. We do not need to be paralyzed waiting for some magic day when we will practice honesty and righteousness. We can get on with it now. Watching and waiting for God's kingdom will be much more interesting if we practice its attributes today!
We wait well for God's kingdom when we practice justice in the allocation of our local government funds in this year's budget. We wait creatively for God's kingdom when we practice honesty in our businesses today. We wait correctly for God's kingdom when we do righteousness in seeking shelter for the homeless. We wait purposefully for God's kingdom when we live with integrity as we move about in our families and speak to our neighbors. We wait rightly for God's kingdom when we do our part to liberate those who are captive to illiteracy, poverty, or spiritual deprivation.
God's kingdom will come. God's kingdom is here. We are to watch and wait, but also participate. This paradox is what makes Christmas so special.
SERVICE
Advent is our time to prepare for the birth of Jesus. We are called to watch and wait, to be ready for God's reign on earth. (Read the Bible passages for this week if you have not yet done so.)
(Light the first Advent candle.) We light this candle as a reminder to watch together for Christ's coming.
One way we can prepare is to take time to be still. Let's take a moment now to be very quiet. (Spend a few minutes in silent prayer.)
Another way we can prepare is to remember all those who wait for peace, for health, for freedom, for Christ is found in all these things. Through our prayers and our actions, we wait with them.
Let us pray: We wait for your coming, dear God. We thank you that we can wait together and not alone. Guide us through the Advent time, so that we may come to know you better, so that we may learn to do your will. Help us to be open to your word for us, help us to respond to those in need as Jesus did. Amen.
ACTIVITIES
1. Especially in the hurried days of Advent, it is very difficult to remember to "watch and wait." Make time now in your daily schedule to cultivate serenity. Make a commitment, in writing, to reserve a brief period of time each day between now and Christmas to be quiet, to listen, to watch and wait.
2. Discuss with your family or group specific ways that you can help each other cultivate serenity. This may mean offering to baby-sit, lending a meditative tape to someone, taking phone messages for someone so that he/she can have some quiet time, agreeing to turn off the television a certain time each evening. Be sure to include children in this; let them have a part in building a little more calm into the family routine.
3. Discuss ways of "practicing integrity" toward the earth and our environment. For each week of Advent, we will focus on one aspect of the environment; make a commitment to learn more about the current state of that aspect and how you can take part in improving/conserving/recycling. For this week, focus together on the earth itself. Are there toxic waste sites in your area? Are you participating in a recycling program?
SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
Preparing Our Hearts for the King
SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT: Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 3:1-6
REFLECTION
There is tremendous energy and activity in this second set of readings for Advent. The readings are best understood if we begin with Luke 3:3 in which it is stated that John the Baptist came "preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
What does John mean by "baptism of repentance"? The answer is to be found in Luke 3:4-6 in which Luke quotes Isaiah. The text is familiar:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight.
Every ravine shall be filled up,
And every mountain and hill shall be brought low;
And the crooked shall become straight,
And the rough roads smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
To better understand these words, we must know that in those times people prepared for the visit of the king by doing road work: Get the roads ready for the king; Make the roads smooth and straight; Level the hills and fill in the valleys; Important company is coming; Make everything ready.
Since John's task was to prepare people for the coming of Jesus, he "preached a baptism of repentance." The preparation that John taught was a preparation of the heart, not totally unlike the preparation of roads, but much more important.
The images here are beautiful. A non-repentant heart is crooked, tortured, full of pitfalls, A non-repentant heart is always climbing steep hills or careening out of control into deep ravines. To be sure, this is an unhappy state of affairs.
However, things can be different. The crooked can be made straight. The high places can be leveled and the valleys can be filled in. The roads within us can be made fit for the Christ Child. True repentance goes beyond simply making some flip comment about being "sorry." Sorry is what you are if you burn a piece of toast. The repentance that John preaches is better understood by knowing the phrase "a contrite heart." This is a heart that finds its present condition unacceptable. This is a heart that seeks real and substantial change. This is a heart that is prepared for the coming of the Christ. This is a repentant heart for the forgiveness of sins.
That brings us to the Malachi passage. The image is much the same. The messenger that comes, says Malachi, will "sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi . . ." You can almost hear John speaking in the words of Malachi: Be purified; Make straight the pathway; Prepare says the Lord of Hosts.
What are those areas in our lives that need purifying? Where are the crooked
places, the hills and ravines? Does our greed stand in the way of our small
steps toward purity? Does our indifference to intolerable situations that
others must endure stand as mountainous roadblocks to God's rule on earth?
Let us change those things. Let us have repentant hearts so that we may prepare
the way for the Christ Child.
SERVICE
(For this service you will need copies of the hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel.)
Advent is our time to prepare for the birth of Jesus. We are called to prepare our hearts. (Read the Bible passages for this week if you have not yet done so.)
(Relight the first Advent candle and now light the second candle.) We light this second Advent candle as a reminder that Christ is our hope.
One way we can prepare our hearts is to remember how people throughout time have looked with hope for the coming of the Savior. (Read the words of the hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, sharing briefly what each person understands from that hymn.)
Another way we can prepare our hearts is to reflect on the areas of our lives
which are still "rough places," places where we need to repent and seek
forgiveness. (Pause to reflect.) Let us share with one another our hopes
for the coming of Christ into our lives and into our world. (Take time to
share.)
Let our hopes become one in prayer: God of our hopes, we lay before you the hills and valleys of our lives. Strengthen us that we may seek a contrite heart, a heart turned toward you. We thank you for all those who have been witnesses to your hope and your righteousness in our lives. We thank you for the gift of Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
ACTIVITIES
1. At Christmas, much of the focus is on acquiring, putting on, buying. Find one specific way that you can simplify your lifestyle between now and Christmas. Share this with the group so that you can be supported in this effort. Is there a habit you can overcome, shopping that can be eliminated by making homemade gifts, a party that can be scaled down a bit or given a different focus, warm clothing you could give away?
2. Examine your usual Christmas rituals, traditions and pace. Are you satisfied with these? Are there old traditions that no longer "fit"? New ones you would like to begin? Now is the time to slow the pace down-before Christmas Day is upon us.
3. For this week's environmental concern, focus on water. What role does water play for you in a physical sense? As a symbol? Find stories that tell of the role water plays in developing cultures; share these stories (or personal experiences overseas) with each other. Share biblical images and stories which center around water.
THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT:
Practicing Unselfish Abandon
THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT: Zephaniah 3:14-20. Luke 3:7-18
REFLECTION
One of the greatest truths we could ever learn is to be found in the passage for this week in Zephaniah: "Do not be afraid." We have nothing to fear! What a great relief-if only we could believe it.
Why should we not be afraid? The world is full of fear-producing things. The answer is simply stated by Zephaniah: Do not be afraid because "God is in your midst." God is not absent. We have more than a dark hole to rely upon. There is a foundation upon which we can place the weight of our uncertainty. No longer do we grope in the darkness for some sure footing. Do not be afraid. Often God's work will take us into uncharted waters and we, like Jonah, would just as soon skip the trip. To be sure, fear is a great enemy of our faith. Fear keeps us from acting faithfully. Our fear keeps us from stepping out to do God's work. We are afraid.
When, in the Luke passage, the people ask John what they "must do to be saved," John urged them into the uncharted waters of unselfish abandon. If you are used to excess, jump into the uncharted waters of giving your excess to those who have a need. If you have two coats, give one away. Do not be afraid.
If you are used to taking more than is due you or if you ask for liberties that are not yours, jump into the uncharted waters of those who accept only what is due them. Do not be afraid. Give in service more than is required of you.
Does this sound too hard, too somber, too severe for healthy living? Zephaniah gives us an interesting suggestion here: "Rejoice, for your restoration is at hand." If we truly follow the Savior who is to come, we will be restored. Will we be restored by giving away our excess, by going the extra mile and living in unselfish abandon? Yes! We will be restored and in our restoration, we will rejoice.
We resist following the Christ Child into unselfish abandon. Our lives, as we know them, will crumble, and we are afraid. Yet if we push ourselves, placing the weight of our uncertainty on God, we will find restoration on the other side. While the medicine may seem bad at the time, the wellness on the other side is a cause for rejoicing. Do not be afraid.
SERVICE
Advent is our time to prepare for the birth of Jesus. We are called to let go of selfishness and fear. (Read the Bible passages for this week if you have not yet done so.)(Relight the first two Advent candles. Light the third candle.) We light this third candle as a reminder that we seek God's peace in our lives, in our families, among friends, and in our world.
One way that we can seek peace is to invite the Spirit of peace into our lives. Let us spend a few minutes in silence, letting go of our own thoughts and words, our anxieties and fears. (Spend time in silence.)
Let us pray. O God of possibilities, we know that even in this world torn apart by conflict, you sow the seeds of peace and you give us what we need to live in peace with one another. Help us to let go of fear, of hatred, of ignorance, of all that keeps us from experiencing your peace and from being peacemakers. Amen.
ACTIVITIES
1. Think about a friend or family member with whom you have lost touch, and take the risk today of writing to that person. Share with the group any circumstances of that situation that you feel comfortable sharing. Each member of a family could choose one relative to send a note, drawing, or picture to.
2. Either individually or as a group, make plans to get to know an individual or a family, through a local agency, church, or shelter, who is on the receiving end of donated money and goods. Since Christmas is also about receiving, take the time to hear the story of someone who is on the receiving end of help. Plan to share your collective experiences at a later time. Discuss how each of you might react to being in the position of needing financial or material assistance.
3. Focus this week on our need for light, and how we use the sun's energy. Think of any biblical images of "light" that you can remember. What one specific thing can you do to help protect the ozone layer?
FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT
Promises of a New Social Order
FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT: Micah 5:1-5, Luke 1:39-55
REFLECTION
On this fourth Advent week, we can find comfort in the reading from Micah. From Bethlehem will come one who will restore the nation to peace and economic stability. That was great news for the Jews. No far-flung rhetoric here. This is "down to earth" stuff-peace and economic stability.
What would it take to get the world to such a wonderful point? In Mary's beautiful Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) it is disarmingly clear that upheavals and revolutions come before peace and economic stability. With the birth of Mary's child, the status quo will be knocked so out of kilter that it will not be recognizable. The present social order will be a thing of the past. Nothing will be the same again.
Three illustrations of this jump out at us. The first is that the proud will be utterly disarmed. Those who operate out of a stance of pride will fall into disarray. Those who have no shame and those whose pride will not allow them to be humble in their relationships will find themselves with no place on earth. Humility in all relationships will become the order of the day.
On the heels of the death of pride is the second illustration-there will be a new social order. Those who occupy a lowly place in society will be elevated. Even the poorest will be given status. Everyone will be seen for their importance to God. No longer will we define each other according to social standing or class. The mighty are put down and the lowly are raised up until there is level ground for all to stand upon.
The third illustration follows rather easily. Those in need and hungry will be fed. Those who are rich will be sent away empty. The economic revolution will be complete, mercifully complete. All of this from a baby not yet born when Mary spoke these beautiful but revolutionary words.
Can anything be at the same time both beautiful and revolutionary? Indeed, it can if the old order is ugly and repressive. In God's rule the old order of pride and greed must be replaced with the one thing that would most characterize the baby Mary was to birth - God's love in action. When the revolution is complete, the nation can then live in peace and economic stability.
SERVICE
(For this service, it will be helpful for the group to choose one country or region which is currently engaged in a struggle for liberation, and to focus especially on the people of that area. Any crafts or visual images from the region can be used to provide a focal point for worship.)Advent is our time to prepare for the birth of Jesus. We are called, like Mary, to be witness to the Good News. (Read the Bible passages for this week if you have not yet done so.)
(Relight the first three Advent candles. Light the fourth one.) We light this fourth candle as a reminder of the great joy that comes when Christ is present within and among us.
One way we can prepare for Christ's coming is to remember the people of _____________, who, like Mary, saw in the coming of the Messiah the hope for a new heaven and earth. Let us remember those living in poverty there, especially the women and children.
(Close this service with a time of prayer, inviting all to add their own words, and lifting up the names of any acquaintances from that region.)
ACTIVITIES
1. Discuss Mary and how her life became a witness. How has she been depicted through the years, both in church history and, more recently, in media? What are the ramifications of viewing Mary as one who heralds a new social order?
2. "Check in" with yourself and others as to how your efforts at cultivating serenity in your daily life are going. Affirm the efforts each of you is making. Encourage continued efforts.
3. For this week, consider the elements of air and wind. What biblical images come to mind? What other environmental elements did God communicate through? What do these images say to us, particularly in terms of the problems of noise and air pollution?
CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY
The Inn and the Hillside
CHRISTMAS EVE: Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-21
REFLECTION
It is Christmas Eve. We stand on tiptoe and look into the manger. We anticipate the birth of the Christ Child at any moment. Isaiah dreamed of this moment, imagining it in its fullest potential: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..."
Isaiah predicted that this child would establish a kingdom of peace, justice and righteousness. We wait with Isaiah. Yet we are fortunate to know the outcome. His prophecy waited for 700 years!
How would the birth of the Christ Child affect the lives of the people? Isaiah imagined that too. He saw a society that had walked in darkness. They would come out of the darkness into a bright and wonderful light. He saw a society that had lived under the burdensome yoke of oppression. The rod of the oppressor would be broken. Sweet liberty would fill the air with an unmistakably beautiful aroma. The kingdom of justice, peace and righteousness would now become a reality.
It is no wonder that when the Christ Child was born in a stable in Bethlehem, the word of the birth came first to poor shepherds on a hillside. What a wonderful moment of justice! The rich, the proud and the mighty were all tucked away in their rooms in the inn. They visited family and friends, making the most out of their duty to participate in the census. The poor shepherds on the hillsides were the ones to hear the good news of the birth. These poor ones, whose yoke was heavy, heard the good news of their liberation.
In addition to having heard the news first, these night shepherds were visited by an angel of the Lord, a special messenger sent just for them. As if that were not enough, they were then treated to a "multitude of the heavenly host." This is God's great Christmas extravagance-good news came not just from a single angel, but from more angels than one could count. God's righteousness came thundering down out of the heavens!
The good news to poor shepherds and grape pickers and welders and secretaries and all of us is the same. Now nearly 2,000 years later, we are to be Christ's hands and feet. Isaiah imagined it. The angels announced it. We must live it out this Christmas Eve.
SERVICE
Our time of preparation is almost done. We have been called; we await the light that shines in the darkness. Our moment to respond, to say yes to the joy of Christ among us, is at hand.(Relight the four Advent candles. Now light the Christ candle.) We light these candles as reminders of watching, hope, peace and joy. We light the Christ candle, for the one for whom we have waited is about to be born among us once again. (Read the Bible passages for this week if you have not yet done so.)
We celebrate this evening the fulfillment of hope, the restoration of God's vision for all creation. In whatever ways we have worked to simplify our lifestyles, to cultivate serenity in our daily lives, to learn more about and participate in the local and world community, we have taken part in that vision. Let us pause for a moment to reflect on the nativity scene, to ask ourselves where we fit into that image. (Take some time for silent reflection. Providing a visible crèche would be helpful.)
Let us pray together. O God of newness and all that is truly alive, we come with joy and anticipation to the manger. Be with us as we overcome our fear of seeing Christ so close, be our strength as we let go of the darkness that has surrounded us. We ask you forgiveness for the times we have chosen darkness over light, for the times we have pretended not to see the path you have set before us. Sharpen our senses, that we, too, might hear the angels sing. Amen.
ACTIVITIES
1. Bring together pictures (magazine, newspaper, etc.) showing the contrast between various dwelling places. Discuss the contrasts between the nativity scene, the inn and the hillside. Given our current lifestyle, in which place would we most likely fit in? Where are we more likely to hear the Good News?
FIRST WEEK AFTER CHRISTMAS
Preparing for Ministry
FIRST WEEK AFTER CHRISTMAS: I Samuel 2:18-20, 26, Luke 2:41-52
REFLECTION
During the time of Advent, we prepared for the birth of the Christ Child. Our scripture lessons for this week are also about preparation-the preparation of ministry.
Our readings begin with young Samuel in the temple. Even as a child, Samuel "was ministering before the Lord... girded with a linen ephod." Samuel was learning by doing, practicing and gaining experience. We can imagine him spending hours testing ideas on elderly Eli. And, yes, he likely complained about the monotony of some of his tasks: "Eli, it is so boring when I have to..." Though sometimes monotonous, preparation has a purpose which we will see later.
When Samuel was called, he was prepared to preach God's word to the nation. "And the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground." (I Samuel 3:1) And the word went to Shiloh and to all of Israel.
There is a similar story in the New Testament reading. As a young boy, Jesus accompanied his parents to the temple for the annual feast of the Passover. On the return home, Jesus was discovered missing. After three days of frantic searching, Mary and Joseph found him in the temple "sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions..." Like Samuel before him, Jesus was testing ideas and learning the things that would prepare him for the challenges to come.
And when his call came, Jesus was prepared. His first public recognition came on the Sabbath when he read from the book of Isaiah. He declared that he had come to "preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:19) The word of the Lord would again be preached to Shiloh, to all of Israel and beyond.
Like Samuel and Jesus, we must prepare for the challenges to come. The challenge for us is to discern our call in light of our preparation. How are we equipped to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord in our time?
Oftentimes, it is difficult to understand that every one of us has a place in God's rule. Most of us will not hear a voice as did Samuel or Jesus. Nonetheless, we are called to participate in God's kingdom in both action and word.
SERVICE
Our time of preparation is over, and yet it has just begun. We continue to celebrate the coming of Christ, and we must now respond to the claim which that coming places on our lives. (Read the Bible passages for this week if you have not yet done so.)One way we can prepare to respond to God's call is to remember those who have been special saints in our lives--mentors, friends and relatives, those whose gentle compassion or firm action have touched our lives and given us a glimpse of Christ. (At this time, each one should give the name of someone who has affected their lives in such a way.)
Another way we can prepare is to ask for God's guidance. Let us pray: You speak to us, O God, in the stillness of the dawn, in the unfolding of the day, in the quiet of the evening. Keep us honest in our discernment. Keep us vigilant in our listening. Keep us bold in the asking. Like Samuel and like Jesus, prepare us for the challenges to come. Amen.
ACTIVITIES
1. Share with one another times when you have felt God's call, either to a specific act or to move in a certain direction. What were the "signs" you perceived at that time? Were there ways you were prepared to take on the challenge?
2. Answering God's call often leads to change-change of habits, lifestyle, goals, circumstances, priorities. Consider a few of the popular stories of the Christmas season: A Christmas Carol (Scrooge), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Gift of the Magi. What types of changes did the main characters go through? What changes, if any, might God be calling you to?
EPIPHANY
Recognizing God's Presence in All
EPIPHANY: Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12
REFLECTION
In the poem found in Isaiah 60:1-6, Isaiah called the people to recognize God's presence and respond to it. This was not an easy thing for them then, nor is it easy for us today. Isaiah's prodding helped them to recognize this new reality: "Arise, shine; for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." The people who had been in darkness were now being restored.
Isaiah knew something that the people had not yet discerned. His special sense allowed him to see clearly what was going on in the life of a nation-God's presence had come and the people should respond.
The "wise men from the East" also had a special sense. They knew something the world had not yet discerned. They came to Jerusalem seeking the Christ. (Matthew 2:1-12)
What set them on their journey? A hunch, perhaps a word from the Lord, a deep stirring within or just a silly dare? Whatever it was, it enabled them to sense that something special had happened in the world. The Christ Child had been born. They recognized God's presence in the child and responded. They brought gifts from their great treasure-gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Now, what about us? We have prepared for weeks. The Christ Child has been born. God's presence is with us in a powerful way. We are called now to recognize God's presence and respond out of the abundance of our great treasures.
Jesus gave us a clue that can unlock the secret of how to proceed. In Matthew 25, he said, "... as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." We are to recognize the presence of Jesus in each person we see, even in "the least of these." Out of our great treasure, we are to act.
Like the wise men, we, too, can give a gift. It may be no more than a cup of cold water. It may be a shoulder to cry on, a word of understanding or a great sum of money. All of these resources come from our great treasure chest. We give these gifts because we see the very presence of God in the "least of these" and we respond.
And so we are all set. We have prepared. We are fit for God's calling. Now, as wise women and men, we see the presence of the Lord and we respond.
SERVICE
We come seeking the Christ Child, venturing into uncertain lands and following a light. We come offering of ourselves. (Read the Bible passages for this week if you have not yet done so.)We seek Christ by first recognizing that we have been sought out; we are responding to God's grace in our lives. Just as God gave the wise men a sense that they were to go forth, so God has taken the initiative with us, and we give thanks!
Just as we did not need to wait alone, neither do we seek Christ alone. Let us now covenant with each other to uphold one another in the searching, wherever God's call may lead us.
Let us pray: God of Samuel, God of Mary, your love is too great for us to resist. You fill our souls with the desire to seek you, to make our home in you. We give thanks for the grace that has brought us here, for the love that has helped us feel at home with one another. May your love in us, and the light we see in each other, sustain us as a community of faith. Set our feet firmly upon the path you have chosen, open our hearts to all that you have in store for us. We give you thanks for your presence in those gathered here and the special gifts each brings. We give you thanks that you have come to us again in Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
ACTIVITIES
1. On separate pieces of paper, write down one or two ways you see Christ in each member of your family or group. Share these notes with one another, taking time to truly listen and to give thanks for any affirmation you receive.
2. Spend some time together in prayer, giving thanks for Christ's presence and asking for strength to recognize that presence in specific situations which are of concern to you at this time.
Many More Interesting Christmas Articles
page updated 22 October 2012
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