Sunday 11 December 2016

Sunday December 11 (Third Week)

Lighting the candles:

As we light the first candle, we are reminded, that Christ is our Hope. We also “wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)

The second candle we light reminds of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Let us “make every effort to live in peace with all men and be holy.” (Hebrews 12:14)

The third candle represents a turning point in the season of advent. It is the candle of Joy. Just as the jailer in Philippi who was “filled with joy because he had come to believe in God,” we can sing with the Prophet Isaiah:

“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf be unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow!” (Isaiah 35:5-7)

Spiritual Disciplines for the Third Week of Advent: Secrecy and Celebration

1. Secrecy
“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:3-4) Do not allow anyone to know of the good deeds you do in order to avoid doing them for the wrong motivations.

2. Celebration
“You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Co 9:11) Practice being grateful and thankful to God and to others for the blessings in and around your life.

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10

Reflection:

As part of the ‘fruit of the Spirit,’ Joy is a gift from God to those who follow Christ. We are called to “be joyful always…for this is God’s Will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess 5:16-18) And if that isn’t enough, the Apostle Paul says again, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Php 4:4) Perhaps we also need to be reminded, that the exuberance of Isaiah 35 and the commands to be joyful need to begin with a transformation inside. David prays, “restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Ps 51:12) after repenting of his sin. Isaiah prophesies: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isa 12:3) Whereas the shepherds “spread the word…about this Child,” “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Lk 2:17, 19) Let us begin by exhaling all that is not of God in our lives and inhaling all that the Lord wants to give us, drawing the water of life from the well of salvation!

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, whereas for the world around us “tis the season to be jolly,” we thank You for reminding us that You desire to give us the Joy of salvation! Remove everything in our lives that prevents Your Joy from filling it. Let us draw deeply from Your well of living water. Transform us with the Joy of Your salvation to become the radiant disciples You want us to be! We thank You for Your blessing and pray these things in the powerful Name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen

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