Week Three: The Word of the Lord to ComeDecember 7th - December 13th, written by Rev. Kazimiera I.H. Fraley and Rev. Christy Gunter-Leppert.
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Meditation One: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Read Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
We talk frequently about being filled with the spirit of the season and relate this to the generous gifts we give those whom we care about and love. However, when we allow ourselves to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord, our generosity becomes obvious in how we treat the people whom we usually ignore and overlook.
Allowing the Spirit of the Lord to be upon you is about giving your change to the person with the bell, wrapping a present for an anonymous angel on a tree, giving a toy to an unknown tot, and so much more. It means reaching out and giving yourself to those who you feel are beneath your love, generosity, and charity. It is about making the unseen seen… making noticeable those who walk in and out of your life daily... and creating visibility for those who are almost invisible to all walking by them.
Reflection for the Day:
Who are the people you overlook in your life? How can you show the true spirit of the season, the Spirit of the Lord, to them?
Daily Prayer:
God, show us the people who have been invisible to us. May your good news radiate our hearts to open our eyes. And with newly opened eyes, teach us to proclaim your good news to the overlooked and ignored. Give us your eyes to see the work of the coming God to the oppressed, those who mourn, the brokenhearted, and those trapped in hopelessness.
Weekly Action:Can you think of a person who is often overlooked? Find a way to reach out to them and bring the light of Christ to their life.
Read Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
We talk frequently about being filled with the spirit of the season and relate this to the generous gifts we give those whom we care about and love. However, when we allow ourselves to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord, our generosity becomes obvious in how we treat the people whom we usually ignore and overlook.
Allowing the Spirit of the Lord to be upon you is about giving your change to the person with the bell, wrapping a present for an anonymous angel on a tree, giving a toy to an unknown tot, and so much more. It means reaching out and giving yourself to those who you feel are beneath your love, generosity, and charity. It is about making the unseen seen… making noticeable those who walk in and out of your life daily... and creating visibility for those who are almost invisible to all walking by them.
Reflection for the Day:
Who are the people you overlook in your life? How can you show the true spirit of the season, the Spirit of the Lord, to them?
Daily Prayer:
God, show us the people who have been invisible to us. May your good news radiate our hearts to open our eyes. And with newly opened eyes, teach us to proclaim your good news to the overlooked and ignored. Give us your eyes to see the work of the coming God to the oppressed, those who mourn, the brokenhearted, and those trapped in hopelessness.
Weekly Action:Can you think of a person who is often overlooked? Find a way to reach out to them and bring the light of Christ to their life.
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Meditation Two: Psalm 126
Read Psalm 126
God gives us a dream as Christians to be restored as the people we were created to be, through the work of the One who is coming. God envisions for us to become the kinds of people who love God and neighbor above all. This dream, like that of the children with sugar plums dancing in their head, often times seems as fictional and fake as the sugary dreams mentioned in that famous poem. However, this dream is the reality of the work of the Christ to come.
Reflection for the Day:
What ideas or themes that we embrace as Christians seem to be a fanciful dream beyond our reach? How do you allow God to make them a reality in your life?
Daily Prayer:
Lore God, take our sugar plum dreams of your work and make them a reality for us.
Show us who you intended us to be before the Fall – before we choose ourselves over you.
Weekly Action:
Can you think of a person who is often overlooked? Find a way to reach out to them and bring the light of Christ to their life.
Read Psalm 126
God gives us a dream as Christians to be restored as the people we were created to be, through the work of the One who is coming. God envisions for us to become the kinds of people who love God and neighbor above all. This dream, like that of the children with sugar plums dancing in their head, often times seems as fictional and fake as the sugary dreams mentioned in that famous poem. However, this dream is the reality of the work of the Christ to come.
Reflection for the Day:
What ideas or themes that we embrace as Christians seem to be a fanciful dream beyond our reach? How do you allow God to make them a reality in your life?
Daily Prayer:
Lore God, take our sugar plum dreams of your work and make them a reality for us.
Show us who you intended us to be before the Fall – before we choose ourselves over you.
Weekly Action:
Can you think of a person who is often overlooked? Find a way to reach out to them and bring the light of Christ to their life.
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Meditation Three: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Joy is a word heard often this time of year. We tend to think joy is a feeling we must maintain if not just for this season, but on a continual basis as Christians. When Paul wrote these words, calling for Christians to rejoice always, he was not asking us to maintain cheerleader peppiness at all times. Joy is a way of life, a thought process that results from trusting and relying on a God who is faithful in all things. Because we know our God loved us enough to come into this world and live as we live, we are able to rejoice in a world full of pain, heartache, and turmoil. It also gives us the hope we need to look forward to the day when God will set all things as creation was intended.
Reflection for the Day:
How many Christmas Hymns talk about rejoicing? What are the reasons these songs call for there to be joy in our lives? In what ways is there joy in your life because of Jesus Christ?
Daily Prayer:
Lord God, give us joyful hearts. Remind us joy is not fake happiness but your peace radiating through our trust in you. Use this week to show us the joy Jesus brings and teach us how to respond joyfully in each moment.
Weekly Action:
Can you think of a person who is often overlooked? Find a way to reach out to them and bring the light of Christ to their life.
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Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Joy is a word heard often this time of year. We tend to think joy is a feeling we must maintain if not just for this season, but on a continual basis as Christians. When Paul wrote these words, calling for Christians to rejoice always, he was not asking us to maintain cheerleader peppiness at all times. Joy is a way of life, a thought process that results from trusting and relying on a God who is faithful in all things. Because we know our God loved us enough to come into this world and live as we live, we are able to rejoice in a world full of pain, heartache, and turmoil. It also gives us the hope we need to look forward to the day when God will set all things as creation was intended.
Reflection for the Day:
How many Christmas Hymns talk about rejoicing? What are the reasons these songs call for there to be joy in our lives? In what ways is there joy in your life because of Jesus Christ?
Daily Prayer:
Lord God, give us joyful hearts. Remind us joy is not fake happiness but your peace radiating through our trust in you. Use this week to show us the joy Jesus brings and teach us how to respond joyfully in each moment.
Weekly Action:
Can you think of a person who is often overlooked? Find a way to reach out to them and bring the light of Christ to their life.
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Meditation Four: John 1:6-8, 19-28
Read John 1:6-8, 19-28
We see many different Christmas stories, both secular and Christian, all around us. We can see the truth of the light of Christ, even in the most unreligious of these stories. They tell us we should show love and kindness by giving of ourselves to each other. They tell us we should not make fun of or shun those different from ourselves, and encourage us to share the things we hold most dear with those who have less than we do. If we look hard enough, many times even the most secular stories testify to the light of Christ.
Reflection for the Day:
Think of one secular Christmas story. How does even a story like this reflect the light of Christ? In what ways can you reflect the light of Christ just as this story does?
Daily Prayer:
May our lives be a story of your light in this secular world.
And may our testimonies this week make the work of the coming God evident to those around us.
Weekly Action:
Can you think of a person who is often overlooked? Find a way to reach out to them and bring the light of Christ to their life.
Read John 1:6-8, 19-28
We see many different Christmas stories, both secular and Christian, all around us. We can see the truth of the light of Christ, even in the most unreligious of these stories. They tell us we should show love and kindness by giving of ourselves to each other. They tell us we should not make fun of or shun those different from ourselves, and encourage us to share the things we hold most dear with those who have less than we do. If we look hard enough, many times even the most secular stories testify to the light of Christ.
Reflection for the Day:
Think of one secular Christmas story. How does even a story like this reflect the light of Christ? In what ways can you reflect the light of Christ just as this story does?
Daily Prayer:
May our lives be a story of your light in this secular world.
And may our testimonies this week make the work of the coming God evident to those around us.
Weekly Action:
Can you think of a person who is often overlooked? Find a way to reach out to them and bring the light of Christ to their life.
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