3rd Sunday of Advent

Our readings for the Third Sunday of Advent are:

1. Zephaniah 3: 14-18a
   
2. Psalms 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6
3. Philippians 1: 4-5, 8-11
   
4. Luke 3: 10-18
   

• Receiving God's love
  
• Unconditional love is oftentimes hard to accept.  We are so conditioned to receive the deserved promotion, the recognition that we have coming to us, the favored position at the table that we worked so hard for.  But we can never deserve the very best things in life, they come to us free from the hand of God.
• If you were to describe God's face as He looks at you, what expression do you think He is wearing?
• How does that make you feel?
• Why do you think that God feels that way about you?
• How does that make you feel about Him?
  

• Finding courage
  
• Courage is a virtue that all of us admire, but few of us feel that we have.
• When is a time that you needed courage to do/say the right thing?
• What were you afraid of would happen if things did not work out properly?
• How/where did you find the courage?
• Did you feel lonely, or did you feel supported?
• Where was God in all of that?
  

• Prayer seasons
  
• Prayer is a tough thing for many of us to find time for.  It is hard to quantify, the benefits are nearly impossible to measure, and it's oftentimes hard to do.  What's not to love about time in prayer?
• Where does the majority of your prayer time go?
• Do you have a list of things that you ask for?
• Or maybe events/outcomes that you long to see?
• Do you pray for God to change everyone else?
• Or do you pray for changes in/to your heart?
• Does God always answer your prayer that way that you were hoping for?
• Why is that?
  

• How then shall we live?
• John the Baptist was doubtless a rather obscure, fringe element to most of the established religious authorities of his day.  No seminary training, no lofty family background, no established credentials to convince anyone that he had any great insights.  Yet he was God's instrument to bring God's children to repentance.
• How do you come to the knowledge that you need to repent of something?
• Why do you think that God speaks to you/us in that way?
• If you had a choice, how would you rather that God spoke to you?
• Would you listen any better?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
• How might I become more in the image of God?
  
• Where might God be calling me to take courage in the face of a difficulty?
  
• How is God calling me to deeper prayer?
  
• Where is God calling me to examine my actions and motives?
  

The Jordan is Muddy

My friends had told me that John the Baptist was changing lives in the desert.
And mine certainly needed changing.

Cynical, angry, bitter, and just plain tired.
I hadn't shown kindness to anyone in ages.

Everyone around me had long ago lapsed into silence.
It was easier that way.

Otherwise, I was likely to give them a baleful stare.
Or a cutting remark about how little they knew.

My friends told me that I'd find peace with John.
But when I asked them to come with me, they said this as a journey alone.

Sand got into my shoes, my shirt, scoured my feet.
Soon I was looking for shade from the burning sun.

As I got closer to the head of the throng, I could hear him.
Giving each a word to get them started on the right path.

And I wondered what mine would be.
And then I heard him say to me:

"Walk along the riverbank, alone, uncharted.
Until you learn to treasure this moment, and then the one after that, and the one after that.

Forget about tomorrow, it will come when it comes."
"Should I forget the sand in my shoes?" I asked mockingly.

"Rejoice in the sand, exult in the heat, accept it all as gift.
Then come back again for the gift of baptism.

For then you will have learned how to be grateful for what you have -
And who you are.

Shalom!