As we move toward the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, we continue our series that focuses on coming home for Christmas. We’ve explored some of the baggage we carry when we return home, and addressed how this can be a fearful experience for some. And last week we talked about that childlike and unadulterated joy that we might lean into as we celebrate Emmanuel—God with us.
It is my hope that the joy of Emmanuel is lasting. I say this because I know sometimes joy is a fleeting emotion, the start of something. I want joy to last! And one of the ways joy can last is through a sense of wonder. The Luke text this week is filled with wonder as cousins greet one another and experience the wonder of connection and the mystery of new life. It’s wonder-full! And it’s a blessing.
Micah 5:2-5a (NRSV)
2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.
Luke 1:39-45 (CEB)
39 Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. 40 She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. 43 Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.”
Consider these questions:
- Have you ever had the experience of telling someone about an event in your life where telling that person made the experience real? How did your sense of the experience change for you? Who is the person you told, and are they still in your life?
- Elizabeth’s outward reaction seems almost uncontrollable. Why would that be?
- In the CEB translation, Elizabeth blurts 4 sentences. How do you understand the ideas of each sentence? How do you understand them all together? What stands out to you? Do you understand any significance in the order of them?
- How do Elizabeth and Mary embody faithful discipleship?
- How is God calling you to be like Elizabeth or Mary this week?
- How have Advent practices such as prayer, waiting, and repentance contributed to a meaningful Advent season?