Awaiting the Already, although a light read, is definitely filled with great information that encourages us to explore how we view Advent. Four of us gathered on Monday to discuss it. So let's start!
P. 16 starts with bullet points about our hurried and impatient lives. The gospel of Mark doesn't mention the baby; Mark starts with John the Baptist. Don't you love learning about the different words used for our English words? Prepare.
We see two words for prepare - prepare something to be used. (p.18) We are to make ourselves "ready to be the vessel through which God's love can enter into humanity." And we are to prepare in anticipation for a big event. P. 19 summarizes these - change our lives and hearts to be ready for Jesus, and have a willingness to suffer fir hum and have a hope for the future.
We hadn't thought about Advent in that way. It has been a time to consider the power and majesty of God's love and crazy redemption plan, but certainly not this type of preparation. Mark then moves in to Communion. The words he uses are powerful. It's not an act of just remembering, but an act of almost feeling like we are there with Jesus at that last supper. It's a reminder to vividly recall that moment, but to also live in the blessed hope of his return. He links advent, communion and baptism on p. 23.
Mark then gets to walking straight. We all enjoyed this part and agreed that we cannot walk straight, and we hope we're never pulled over for DUI suspicion because we will fail. Epic fails. No backwards ABCs or walking straight lines. But it's ok - we are self-controlled and don't have to worry about that! (see Corinthians lesson 5, day 5) We are to keep our eyes on Jesus because we are prone to wander and cannot walk straight without our eyes on him.
We are to be double prepared. Wow. We often associate repentance and introspection with Lent, not Advent. "It means setting our hearts straight and asking God to reveal to us everything that is wayward in our lives."
Whoa. Stop the decorations and gift-buying lists. It's time to pray and get our paths straight.
What else did you see in this lesson on Mark's perspective of the coming of the Christ child?
- P. 28, question 2 on top - How do you need to slow down? What are items on your to-do list that might get in the way of spiritual preparations?
- question 2, bottom - What other things that communion and baptism do you remember with such clarity that you feel like you're there again?
- question 3 - what paths need to be made straight in your heart today?
- Here's a group question, in addition to those above. Read p. 26 3rd full paragraph.
"It means living a sacrificial and sacramental life, in which we become the very bread that Jesus takes, blesses, breaks and gives out for the world, so that we can become the very incarnation of the Incarnate One among us."
Read this a few times and really think about what it's saying. What do is this saying to you? I think this is the whole of advent, and really, how we are to live every day. Being like Jesus, but not just for our own salvation, but for the world. How do we make this a reality this Advent season? Let's talk about this and use it as a prayer focus for the upcoming week.
Thanks for your comments & insights of Lesson 1. The chapter helped me look at advent from a different perspective. A good reminder that if I fix my eyes on Jesus, it will keep me from turning away from God. Remember this always.
ReplyDeleteIn response to some of your questions, December is one of the busiest times of year for me at work. With the increased workload and holiday season, I have already eliminated many things from my to do list. ie: I don't bake Christmas cookies, I don't send Christmas cards, sometimes we don't even put up Christmas decorations. The problem is that the "extra" time doesn't increase my "Jesus" time. This study has added some spiritual preparation time which is much appreciated. (Thanks, Mindy!) I hope to cherish the preparation time this season by intentionally focusing on God more than usual.
Lesson 2 / Matthew starts with Jesus' geneology. I used to look at the listing of names as boring and of little value. Lately though, I have come to understand the importance of seeing the list of names. Everyone in that list is a part of Jesus' heritage. The book points out that Jesus' ancestors weren't all perfect people creating a squeaky clean list people in His background. They were people that needed mercy and grace also, just like me. p41 last 2 full paragraphs say that "Matthew is not interested in scrubbing and polishing Jesus' ancestors in order to make them look good for the family portrait. Instead he wants to remind us that even Jesus' ancestors were themselves evidence of how broken and sinful this world had become, and why Jesus' arrival was all the more necessary. In other words, when Emmanuel arrives, God not only came to be with us. God came at just the right time."
p44 q2 asks What painful realities do you call to mind that this time of year? Knowing that so many people are in need, have broken families, are impacted by illness, recent deaths are painful realities. It seems that anniversaries of family deaths in the holiday season hit the survivors harder than anniversaries of deaths during other times of the year. Do we have such high expectations of the holiday season that everything should be happy and family togetherness that we can't deal with the emotions of the loss of a loved one?
p44 Q1 of second section: Joseph & Herod were both threatened by the arrival of Jesus. Joseph though was able to work through his issues easier because an angel visited him and helped him be at peace with and accepting of the situation. Herod reacted to the threat with rage and fury. He even went to the extreme of killing young boys to try to get rid of the threat.
p44 q3 reminds me to look at people closely and actually see them. Jesus can be seen in anyone. I must look at people as if they are Jesus and treat them accordingly. As Jesus tells us, when we feed the hungry, clothe the needy, and shelter the homeless, we have served Him. Important to remember, especially as we are hustling around trying to live up to the expectations of our family and get everything done.
I must SLOW DOWN and get my priorities straight!
Enjoy your time together tomorrow!
Thanks, Nancy. Your last points about slowing down and serving others are so key. And hard! We also talked about the cost of following Jesus and that we aren't promised a smooth, perfect life. I wonder when that lie began to be believed?
ReplyDelete