Advent 4: Love

Focus:  Paul said it was greater than faith or hope. It is the centerpiece of Christ’s teaching. This week’s focus is on Love.

Sentences on the Subject: In the whirlwind of holiday activity, we can easily forget that the characters of the Advent and Christmas narratives were nothing like us. Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, John, and, yes, even Jesus were Middle Eastern people of a lower socioeconomic class than most of us reading this book. Furthermore, as an ethnic and religious people they were marginalized from the mainstream Roman culture and looked upon disdainfully by government and high church officials. The Jewish people were rooted in a history of oppression and they were awaiting a messiah who would usher in a new heaven and earth by rescuing them from the varied forms of systematic injustice they endured. Okoro

Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, John, and all the other faithful Jews we find in the New Testament narratives are well versed in their Hebrew Bible. They know the history of God’s steadfast faithfulness to God’s children. They know the stories of God’s commitment even when their ancestors rebelled against God. The Advent characters we meet have a clear sense of who God is and had been throughout their people’s history. Both Zechariah and Mary sing aloud the fulfillment of God’s words through John’s birth and Mary’s pregnancy. They know of God’s promises because their ancestors faithfully proclaimed God’s goodness throughout the generations…… It is also fitting to recount God’s faithfulness in our own lives because it reminds us of God’s presence with us. God promised never to leave or forsake us. When we speak of God’s goodness, we reorient ourselves to the tenets of kingdom living. God creates; we worship and praise. God initiates; we respond in prayer and commitment. God promises; we wait and trust. God calls; we answer. God dwells in us and among us; we mirror God back to each other. Okoro

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you;and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,and the flame shall not consume you.For I am the Lord your God”. Isaiah 43

“In the Advent story, names are significant because they point to a child’s divine call. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary were given the task of naming their children according to God’s intentions for them. John means “God is gracious/merciful,” and Emmanuel means “God with us.” We might be tempted to think that being so intentional and reflective about what we name our children is taking it all too seriously. There is indeed nothing wrong with naming children after other people or because one simply likes how a name sounds. But there is value in thinking about the power that names can have in our lives, whether it is our birth names, or the names people assign us later in life, or the names we claim for ourselves. A name is an identifier. It is how we recognize who we are and who others are. Even the childish act of nicknaming can have positive or negative effects on someone. The names we bear or endure can hint at both beautiful truth and debilitating falsehoods. Okoro

Okoro, Enuma. Silence – And Other Surprising Invitations of Advent (Emmaus Library Series). Upper Room.

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Below is some “food for thought”, a few probes that might kick start a conversation. Read over them and pick one (or more, or none) to discuss. Remember to hold space for others to share and share only what you feel comfortable sharing.

Probe 1. How was your Advent week? Where/How did you experience one of the Advent themes (Hope, Peace, Joy, Love)?

Probe 2. Knowing our histories and our stories is important. Are there stories (Biblical, familial, or personal) that have been important in your life?

Probe 3. “A name is an identifier. It is how we recognize who we are and who others are. Even the childish act of nicknaming can have positive or negative effects on someone. The names we bear or endure can hint at both beautiful truth and debilitating falsehoods.” Can you thing of ways that this rings true?

Probe 4. Advent is a time of waiting in the hope of Christmas? What is the “hope of Christmas”?

Take Away. Light the candle of Love as we reflect on this poem.

Christmas is Waiting to Be Born (Howard Thurman)

Where refugees seek deliverance that never comes,
and the heart consumes itself, if it would live,
Where little children age before their time,
And life wears down the edges of the mind,
Where the old man sits with mind grown cold,
While bones and sinew, blood and cell, go slowly down to death,
Where fear companions each day’s life,
And Perfect Love seems long delayed.
CHRISTMAS IS WAITING TO BE BORN:
In you, in me, in all mankind.”

Commission: Hold on to what is good. Love deeply. Honor others. Stay excited about life and your faith. Be joyful. Be patient. If you pray, have faith. Share with people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes. Be loving to those who hurt you. Be present; be in the moment. Be kind, even toward those with whom you disagree. Be humble. Be a friend of people who aren’t considered important. Do the right thing. If possible, live in peace with everyone. And remember, no matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey- you are welcome here.