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Bible Study for the 1st Sunday of Advent - November 29th |
Read Mark 13:24-37
It’s something we hate to do. It’s something most of us don’t do well but which we all end up doing more than we care to admit. That “something” is “waiting.” Think of the many examples of waiting in our daily lives. We stand in line at the post office, waiting for the next available clerk. The voice on the other end of the phone line says, “Thanks for calling; can you hold, please?” A student in the school hallway runs to catch up with friends, shouting, “Wait for me!” The host at the restaurant tells the hungry customer there will be a twenty-minute wait for a table. We sit in the “waiting room” of the doctor’s office. A child on Santa’s lap tells him, “I can’t wait ‘til Christmas!”
Whether we care to admit it in this instant-gratification, drive-thru-window, two-minute-oatmeal, microwaveable, instant-credit-approval society, we are a waiting people. The same can be said of disciples of Jesus; and no other season in the church year is more filled with the theme of waiting than Advent. “Beware; keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” (Mark 13:33 NRSV)
It is true, in Advent we anticipate Christmas. We wait and prepare for the promised coming of the child of Bethlehem. For some, this waiting means active preparation and excitement. For some, it means a deep loneliness, missing loved ones, and a reality far different from the tranquil Christmas postcard. We wait and hope for a renewed experience of God-with-us, for a renewed knowledge of Christ’s presence.
But we also wait and hope for something more. We await release. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his Letters and Papers from Prison, wrote: “Life in a prison cell reminds me a great deal about Advent – one waits and hopes and patters about, but in the end what we do is of little consequence, for the door is shut, and it can only be opened from the outside.” We acknowledge our yearning for release as we pray, “We confess we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves.” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 95) We wait and hope for release from fear and heartache, from loneliness and grief, from sin and brokenness, from whatever imprisons us and captures our hopes, kills our dreams, and limits our imagination.
Our “Advent attitude” as disciples of Jesus is one of hopeful waiting. And in our waiting, we hear a word. “The master of the house will come” (Mark 13:35 NSRV). It’s a word spoken by a God who by a simple word created all things. It’s a word of promise from a God we know to be true to God’s word – a word which becomes flesh and dwells among us.
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus and be our guest. Grant us patience and vigilance in our waiting. Amen
It’s something we hate to do. It’s something most of us don’t do well but which we all end up doing more than we care to admit. That “something” is “waiting.” Think of the many examples of waiting in our daily lives. We stand in line at the post office, waiting for the next available clerk. The voice on the other end of the phone line says, “Thanks for calling; can you hold, please?” A student in the school hallway runs to catch up with friends, shouting, “Wait for me!” The host at the restaurant tells the hungry customer there will be a twenty-minute wait for a table. We sit in the “waiting room” of the doctor’s office. A child on Santa’s lap tells him, “I can’t wait ‘til Christmas!”
- What other examples of waiting come to mind?
Whether we care to admit it in this instant-gratification, drive-thru-window, two-minute-oatmeal, microwaveable, instant-credit-approval society, we are a waiting people. The same can be said of disciples of Jesus; and no other season in the church year is more filled with the theme of waiting than Advent. “Beware; keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” (Mark 13:33 NRSV)
It is true, in Advent we anticipate Christmas. We wait and prepare for the promised coming of the child of Bethlehem. For some, this waiting means active preparation and excitement. For some, it means a deep loneliness, missing loved ones, and a reality far different from the tranquil Christmas postcard. We wait and hope for a renewed experience of God-with-us, for a renewed knowledge of Christ’s presence.
- How can we support others who find Advent and Christmas to be lonely?
But we also wait and hope for something more. We await release. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his Letters and Papers from Prison, wrote: “Life in a prison cell reminds me a great deal about Advent – one waits and hopes and patters about, but in the end what we do is of little consequence, for the door is shut, and it can only be opened from the outside.” We acknowledge our yearning for release as we pray, “We confess we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves.” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 95) We wait and hope for release from fear and heartache, from loneliness and grief, from sin and brokenness, from whatever imprisons us and captures our hopes, kills our dreams, and limits our imagination.
- What do the words of Bonhoeffer mean to you?
- How are we “captive to sin”?
Our “Advent attitude” as disciples of Jesus is one of hopeful waiting. And in our waiting, we hear a word. “The master of the house will come” (Mark 13:35 NSRV). It’s a word spoken by a God who by a simple word created all things. It’s a word of promise from a God we know to be true to God’s word – a word which becomes flesh and dwells among us.
- During these next weeks, how will you wait for Christ’s coming?
- How might waiting become a gift for you?
Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus and be our guest. Grant us patience and vigilance in our waiting. Amen
Prayer Petitions for this week
These petitions are offered as guides to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world. Thank you for your continued prayers for the life and mission of this church.
-Pray for healing and comfort for Don, Brian, Manjula, Rose and the grieving family and friends of Dick.
-Pray that, as followers of Christ who treasure life as a gift from God, we will exercise patience, caution and concern for our neighbor as the COVID-19 pandemic continues long past our expectations and assumptions.
-Give thanks for followers of Christ and children of God who gather in faith communities everywhere to praise God, grow in faith and celebrate the unity we have in Christ. Pray that we might never show bias toward or rebuff people who are curious and seek the good news we have received.
-Praise God for our creative siblings in Christ whose hymns stir our faith, inspire us, speak of God’s work and express our joy and gratitude to God.
-As we celebrate Thanksgiving, lift up prayers of gratitude for the blessings and abundant resources we enjoy, and remember the people in our communities and world who suffer food insecurity, hunger and poverty. Ask the Spirit to increase our generosity and engagement with our neighbors in need and to help our communities become more just, generous, compassionate and committed to addressing difficult social issues.
-Pray that we will be humble but not shy about praying in private or with others, trusting that God understands us even when our words — spoken or silent — feel awkward or inadequate.
-“O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” Like the immense, complex and awesome universe, we are God’s handiwork. Raise up prayers of glory and thanksgiving to God!
-This is a year of hope, yearning and anticipation, when we cry out for relief, healing, positive signs of change in the world and reassurance that we’ll all be OK. Pray that we will trust in God’s promises and presence through faith in Jesus Christ — son of man and son of God, our hope, security and salvation in all times and circumstances.
-Pray for healing and comfort for Don, Brian, Manjula, Rose and the grieving family and friends of Dick.
-Pray that, as followers of Christ who treasure life as a gift from God, we will exercise patience, caution and concern for our neighbor as the COVID-19 pandemic continues long past our expectations and assumptions.
-Give thanks for followers of Christ and children of God who gather in faith communities everywhere to praise God, grow in faith and celebrate the unity we have in Christ. Pray that we might never show bias toward or rebuff people who are curious and seek the good news we have received.
-Praise God for our creative siblings in Christ whose hymns stir our faith, inspire us, speak of God’s work and express our joy and gratitude to God.
-As we celebrate Thanksgiving, lift up prayers of gratitude for the blessings and abundant resources we enjoy, and remember the people in our communities and world who suffer food insecurity, hunger and poverty. Ask the Spirit to increase our generosity and engagement with our neighbors in need and to help our communities become more just, generous, compassionate and committed to addressing difficult social issues.
-Pray that we will be humble but not shy about praying in private or with others, trusting that God understands us even when our words — spoken or silent — feel awkward or inadequate.
-“O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” Like the immense, complex and awesome universe, we are God’s handiwork. Raise up prayers of glory and thanksgiving to God!
-This is a year of hope, yearning and anticipation, when we cry out for relief, healing, positive signs of change in the world and reassurance that we’ll all be OK. Pray that we will trust in God’s promises and presence through faith in Jesus Christ — son of man and son of God, our hope, security and salvation in all times and circumstances.
Lent 2020 -
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In Jesus’ day, women were generally silent, and rarely if ever seen, and are generally nameless. We hear about the Canaanite woman, or the Samaritan woman, or they are identified by their relationship to a man such as Jairus’s daughter or Simon’s mother-in-law. So the very inclusion of women in the gospel texts is remarkable. Yet these women are a part of our history and a part of Jesus’ story. This Lenten season, we will explore a different woman’s story each week.
Introduction to Lent 2020 and Women's Encounters with Jesus Week 1 - The Canaanite Woman: Matthew 15:21-28 Week 2 - Martha and Mary: Luke 10:38-42 Week 3 - A Bent Woman, Daughter of Abraham: Luke 13:10-17 Week 4 - A Woman Accused of Adultery: John 7:53-8:11 Week 5 - A Woman anoints Jesus for Burial - Matthew 26:6-13 |
Lent 2019 -
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Jesus often taught the crowds through powerful stories that feel just as contemporary today as they did 2000 years ago. These wonderful stories allow us to see the world of the first century through the eyes of first century followers of Jesus. Join us on this journey through 5 parables from the Gospel of Luke as we peel back the layers to discover how these parables simultaneously comfort and challenge us. Dig into the culture of the original hearers of these stories that challenge our assumptions about God, the world, our neighbors, and ourselves.
Once Upon a Time: The Beauty and Challenge of Story Week 1 - Are All Samaritans Good? Week 2 - Lost Things Week 3 - A Lost Son Week 4 - A Lost Brother Week 5 - A Feast for the Ones the World Forgot Reflections on Holy Week |
Lent 2018 |
The gospel of John tells the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection in a poignant, dramatic, and unique voice. In this Lenten Bible study, you are invited to enter into John’s world and encounter those who were a part of Jesus’ final days.
Introduction to the Gospel of John Week 1 – Nicodemus: Journey from Darkness to Light Week 2 – Judas: Journey to the Dark Side Week 3 – Peter: Journey to Understanding Week 4 – Mary Magdalene: Journey to Life Week 5 – The Beloved Disciple: Our Journey to Faithfulness |
Advent 2017 |
Pastor Joanne made a series of videos with a message for each week of the Advent season. Please follow this link to see those messages
Advent videos 2017 |
