Tuesday, December 4, 2018

2nd Sunday of Advent

Our readings for the Second Sunday of Advent are:
  1. Baruch 5: 1-9
  2. Psalms 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
  3. Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11
  4. Luke 3: 1-6
  • The strength of home
    • Uproot a people, transport them elsewhere, and they suddenly become less of a threat.  Their cultural foundation, wrenched from their land, fails them, their social networks crumble, their strength falters, even if nothing else has been done to them.
    • Who are the refugees among us today?  Those who have fled their homeland to avoid persecution, corrupt government, destitution, ...
    • Where should they go?
    • Why?
  • Waiting for a return
    • The fall of Man concludes in Genesis with humanity being banned from the Garden, condemned to be the world's first refugees, bereft, strangers in a strange land, never to return.
    • What would it take for you to be more at home in your life?  Do you dream of moving somewhere that will make you happy, find that dream job, get some kids that finally listen to you, belong to a community?
    • Would that move draw you closer to Jesus?
    • Would that make you more comfortable?
    • Do you think that all of our yearnings are meant to be satisfied in this life?
  • Creation yesterday, today, and forever
    • How would you define a partnership?
    • Jesus told His disciples that He calls them friends.  Do you think that he would ever call us partners?
    • During which parts of His life and ministry, yesterday, today, and tomorrow do you think that Jesus would most want your company?
    • What can you do to be a better companion to Jesus?
    • What does it all mean?
      • Preachers from the desert popped up all of the time in John's day.  Someone preaching repentance was nothing new.  Recognizing that John heralded something special, that this was more than just another itinerant preacher took some sensitivity, risk-taking, courage.
      • Why is it so easy to miss God's movements in our lives?
      • How can we become more sensitive to those movements?
      • How can we help each other to become more sensitive to those movements?
    • Preparation for Reconciliation:
    1. What can I do for the refugees of all sorts in our midst?
    2. Where is God calling me to return to Him today?
    3. Where am I aiding the ongoing unfolding of Creation?
    4. What action of the Holy Spirit in my life today am I aware of?

    Shalom!


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