Advent Reading for Thursday, Week 2 (December 8, 2022)

 

The Season of Advent prepares us 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 2 Reminder

This week, our readings focus on "Repentance."  The Hebrew word for "repent"  תשובה (teshuva) means to return or turn back.  It's Greek counterpart μετανοώ (metanoeó) means to change one's mind or purpose--particularly when that change is as a result of accepting God's will.  For a longer description of repentance, refer back to the reading, for Sunday, Dec. 4.

Scripture

Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, ² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.
⁵ Every valley shall be filled,
    and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
    and the rough ways made smooth,
⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”  (NRSVUE)

 

Hymn

Questions

John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ by crying out to those who were lost in the wilderness of sin.  

• Consider the sinful wildernesses of today’s world.  Where would John’s voice be calling for things to be fixed?  
• Can you “hear” echoes of it?
  

Prayer

Christ, help me heed the voice that cries out to prepare your way.   Amen.