Advent Reading for Sunday, Week 1 (11/27/22)

The Season of Advent is designed to prepare for Christ's coming--both on Christmas Day and when we comes again in glory.  This year, we will spend each week exploring a different way we can prepare ourselves.  The post for each day will include a scripture, a song, a few brief questions to reflect upon, and a prayer  Week 1 is about Keeping Watch.

 

Introduction to Week 1

From a theological  perspective, to "keep watch" is to spend the time between the end of Jesus's first coming and the beginning of his second one by staying spiritually awake for signs of Christ's promises, alert for ways we can live into the hope found in his teaching, and physically and socially active in following his commands.  Keeping watch includes holding onto hope of times of fear, doubt, or pain and seeking God's coming  justice in world that is often unjust.  

Each of this week's readings, will focus on hope.  Our scriptures reflect the persistent hope of the prophets as well as the advice that Jesus gave to his followers.  We will also see contrasting reactions of some unexpected people who were keeping watch and a king who should have been. Finally, we will end with Paul's advice on how to  act as we keep watch. 

Scripture

Micah 7:4b-7

The day of their sentinels, of their punishment, has come;
    now their confusion is at hand.
⁵ Put no trust in a friend;
    have no confidence in a loved one;
guard the doors of your mouth
    from her who lies in your embrace,
⁶ for the son treats the father with contempt,
    the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
    your enemies are members of your own household.
⁷ But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
    I will wait for the God of my salvation;
    my God will hear me.  (NRSVUE)

 

Hymn

Questions

Speaking from a time of great injustice and anxiety, Micah describes a society gone so wrong that people cannot even trust their closest loved ones.  Despite all this, Micah trusts that God will bring him salvation--and he is looking to God as he waits for that salvation to come

• Have you ever been betrayed by someone you thought you could trust? 
•  Do you trust that God will never betray you?
• What do you long for our Savior to make right when he comes?

 

Prayer

LORD, help me trust in your faithfulness as I look for your coming.