Advent Reading for Tuesday, Week 3 (December 13, 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 3 Reminder

The 3rd Sunday of Advent is often referred to as Gaudete Sunday (or Joy Sunday).  Gaudete is the Latin word for "rejoice."  From a theological perspective, to rejoice doesn't mean pretending to be happy. For a longer exploration of joy, refer back to the reading, for Sunday, Dec. 4.

Scripture

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me
    because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and release to the prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
    to comfort all who mourn,
³ to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
⁴ They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations.

 ⁸ For I, the Lord, love justice,
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
    and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
⁹ Their descendants shall be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
    that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
    my whole being shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its shoots
    and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
    to spring up before all the nations.

  (NRSVUE)

 

Hymn

Questions

Isaiah 61 paints a joyful picture of what salvation will be like.  

• How do you picture salvation in Christ?  
• Would you like to sketch it out?
  

Prayer

God, give me a joyful vision of coming salvation.  Amen.