Matthew 24:37-44
Lead in: At a time of year made busy by the commercialization of a feast called Christmas, the Advent season provides a timeout in a busy season so that our hearts will be prepared to take in the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of a child whose life, death and resurrection would change the course of human history.
Prompt: As the Advent season begins, what practical things could I do that could help me refocus my priorities so that my heart is all the more open this year to celebrate the true meaning of
Christmas?
Lead in: In Matthew 24, Jesus offers a dramatic image, “Two men in the field, one is taken, and one is left.” The Gospel suggests that those taken away are like those swept away by the great flood in Noah’s day.
Prompt: What are the “distractions” in your life if not watched like the man in field, could sweep you away to a place you don’t want to go?
Lead in: Jesus tells his listeners, “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day the Lord will come.”
Prompt: If you had but one year to live, is there anything about the way you’re living that you’d change or do differently?
Lead in: In scripture, falling asleep is a metaphor for self-indulgent living in pursuit of what we want, rather than being attentive to God’s purposes for our lives.
Prompt: What helps you “stay awake” and alert to the things in life that keep you focused on what matters?
Lead in: Isaiah 21 speaks of an image that gives us a vision for peace in our world. “Swords” are beat into “plowshares,” and “spears” made into “pruning hooks.”
Prompt: How might the church be an agent for change and reflect Isaiah’s vision of peace in our world?