Daily Scripture: Isaiah 9:1 (2) The people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those living in the land that lies
in the shadow of death, light has dawned.
2 (3) You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice in your presence
as if rejoicing at harvest time,
the way men rejoice
when dividing up the spoil.
3 (4) For the yoke that weighed them down,
the bar across their shoulders,
and their driver’s goad
you have broken as on the day of Midyan[’s defeat].
4 (5) For all the boots of soldiers marching
and every cloak rolled in blood
is destined for burning,
fuel for the fire.
5 (6) For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us;
dominion will rest on his shoulders,
and he will be given the name
Pele-Yo‘etz El Gibbor
Avi-‘Ad Sar-Shalom
[Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God,
Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace],
6 (7) in order to extend the dominion
and perpetuate the peace
of the throne and kingdom of David,
to secure it and sustain it
through justice and righteousness
henceforth and forever.
The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot
will accomplish this.
7 (8) Adonai sent a word to Ya‘akov,
and it has fallen on Isra’el.
Reflection Questions:“A child is born to us,” said Isaiah’s prophecy, “a son is given to us.” His words of hope rang through the years. “He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Maybe life’s darkness wasn’t permanent. In the hope of that amazing, unique birth, the promise that people walking in darkness would see “a great light” seemed worth hoping for.
- “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned.” It was, and is, an awesome promise. Yet even after meeting Jesus, Paul could write, “Now we see a dim reflection” (1 Corinthians 13:12). In what ways has Jesus already lit up your dark world? In what ways are you waiting for the full glory of God’s light?
- We sometimes overlook verse 5 of Isaiah’s promise: “Every boot of the thundering warriors, and every garment rolled in blood will be burned, fuel for the fire.” The child to be born, he said, would be named “Prince of Peace.” How can you more fully internalize the Prince of Peace’s way of life, and resolve conflicts in his way in your day-to-day dealings with others?
Lord Jesus, just as the sun rises every morning, your light is always there to illumine my life. Help me keep my vision alert and focused for what your light seeks to show me. Amen.
---------------------
Insights from Angela LaVallie
Angela LaVallie is the Worship Logistics Program Director at Resurrection. She oversees preparing the Sanctuary for worship, supports Vibe worship and volunteers in the Student Center, provides oversight for Holy Communion at the Leawood campus, assists with worship logistics at conferences, and oversees community events and meals.
A major focus in Pastor Adam’s sermon this past weekend was the Hope that is found this Advent season in the Light of Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world.” As Jesus’ followers, people who live with his Spirit inside us, we are responsible for being the light and the hope in the world.
Not long after I began working at the church, it looked like was going to be losing my roommates and would have to live on my own for the first time. The thought of living by myself didn’t bother me, but the thought of the expense of living by myself made me really nervous. It’s expensive to live alone. I shared my concerns about this with a coworker. I even prayed that God would somehow increase my income to make living alone easier. At one point my coworker said to me, “I know you’re worried about where you’ll live and how you’ll pay rent and utilities everything, but I want to tell you that you don’t have to worry about it. You are loved, and you have people here who will take care of you and help you if you need it.” What a light that was. What a sense of hope I got hearing those words. Knowing that I was not going to be alone and had people to be the light and give me hope took away the anxiety I was feeling. Matthew 6:25-34 talks about not worrying because God takes care of his people. These words from my coworker were a reminder that God does indeed take care of his people – just not necessarily in the ways we imagine.
We are blessed at Resurrection to hear stories frequently of those in our church and community who are giving hope to those around them and around the world. We hear about those using their talents to raise money to donate to cancer research or to build schools and orphanages in other countries. We hear about those who learn of children living in poverty just miles away and organize a backpack program to feed them or collect coats to keep them warm. I spoke to a woman recently who has begun making [really nice] rag dolls from her sewing scraps to give to children in need. It’s easy to make the excuse that we don’t have the time or the talent or the resources to do something to make a real difference. Sometimes, it doesn’t take anything more than a friendly smile or a listening ear to give someone hope. Other times, it’s the big difference we can make when we all come together in small ways that makes a big impact through our donations or working together on a project.
Pastor Adam ended his sermon by asking something like “Is there more light in the world because of you and the way you live?” I have come across posts on Facebook and Pinterest with pictures and stories that will restore your faith in humanity. These posts are good reminders that there is a lot of light in the world. Jesus is living in and among and through us today in both big and small ways. If you’re still not convinced you can bring hope to someone, just try googling “restore your faith in humanity.” I just did and got about 2,190,000 results. There are plenty of ideas to inspire you to intentionally let Jesus’ light shine through you so there is more light in the world.
---------------------
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
A major focus in Pastor Adam’s sermon this past weekend was the Hope that is found this Advent season in the Light of Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world.” As Jesus’ followers, people who live with his Spirit inside us, we are responsible for being the light and the hope in the world.
Not long after I began working at the church, it looked like was going to be losing my roommates and would have to live on my own for the first time. The thought of living by myself didn’t bother me, but the thought of the expense of living by myself made me really nervous. It’s expensive to live alone. I shared my concerns about this with a coworker. I even prayed that God would somehow increase my income to make living alone easier. At one point my coworker said to me, “I know you’re worried about where you’ll live and how you’ll pay rent and utilities everything, but I want to tell you that you don’t have to worry about it. You are loved, and you have people here who will take care of you and help you if you need it.” What a light that was. What a sense of hope I got hearing those words. Knowing that I was not going to be alone and had people to be the light and give me hope took away the anxiety I was feeling. Matthew 6:25-34 talks about not worrying because God takes care of his people. These words from my coworker were a reminder that God does indeed take care of his people – just not necessarily in the ways we imagine.
We are blessed at Resurrection to hear stories frequently of those in our church and community who are giving hope to those around them and around the world. We hear about those using their talents to raise money to donate to cancer research or to build schools and orphanages in other countries. We hear about those who learn of children living in poverty just miles away and organize a backpack program to feed them or collect coats to keep them warm. I spoke to a woman recently who has begun making [really nice] rag dolls from her sewing scraps to give to children in need. It’s easy to make the excuse that we don’t have the time or the talent or the resources to do something to make a real difference. Sometimes, it doesn’t take anything more than a friendly smile or a listening ear to give someone hope. Other times, it’s the big difference we can make when we all come together in small ways that makes a big impact through our donations or working together on a project.
Pastor Adam ended his sermon by asking something like “Is there more light in the world because of you and the way you live?” I have come across posts on Facebook and Pinterest with pictures and stories that will restore your faith in humanity. These posts are good reminders that there is a lot of light in the world. Jesus is living in and among and through us today in both big and small ways. If you’re still not convinced you can bring hope to someone, just try googling “restore your faith in humanity.” I just did and got about 2,190,000 results. There are plenty of ideas to inspire you to intentionally let Jesus’ light shine through you so there is more light in the world.
---------------------
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
---------------------
---------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment