Luke 21:25 - 36
The Message Translation
25-26 “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.
27-28 “And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”
29-33 He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.
34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from John:
This Sunday begins the season of Advent, the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. It is the period of the year that the Christian Church waits.
We wait as we look forward to Christmas with excitement and hope. Soon we celebrate the arrival of the once-promised Christ-child. The Kindom of God that is already here.
We so wait in remembrance of those humans living in occupied Palestine millennia ago, who looked forward to the coming Messiah, and whose hope came true.
And we wait with longing for the promised Kindom that is not yet fully here.
We wait in solidarity with our neighbors today who live under the weight of oppressive systems and who bear the wounds of dehumanizing ideologies.
In our grief and lament, we wait in anticipation of the promise that all things will be made new, that our own pain and suffering will cease, and that all people will be affirmed as members in the family of God. We wait with a vision of the world looking differently than it does today.
May this promise sustain us.
May our souls feel their worth.
May our weary world rejoice.
PRACTICE:
Meditative Advent Calendar:
December 1: Spend 1 minute reflecting on waiting.
December 2: Spend 2 minutes reflecting on mercy.
December 3: Spend 3 minutes reflecting on justice.
December 4: Spend 4 minutes reflecting on goodness.
December 5: Spend 5 minutes reflecting on forgiveness.
December 6: Spend 6 minutes reflecting on wholeness.
December 7: Spend 7 minutes reflecting on love.
December 8: Spend 8 minutes on social media. Send a message of encouragement to a person on your feed.
December 9: Spend 9 minutes focusing on your breath.
December 10: Spend 10 minutes outside in silent awareness.
December 11: Spend 11 minutes in a public locate, silently observing the people around you.
December 12: Spend 12 minutes tending to your yard, your garden, or your plants.
December 13: Spend 13 minutes stretching your body.
December 14: Spend 14 minutes reflecting on waiting.
December 15: Spend 15 minutes in gratitude.
December 16: Spend 16 re-reading a favorite text.
December 17: Spend 17 minutes re-listening to some favorite music.
December 18: Spend 18 minutes reflecting on creation.
December 19: Spend 19 minutes reflecting on liberation.
December 20: Spend 20 minutes intentionally creating.
December 21: Spend 21 minutes reflecting on waiting.
December 22: Spend 22 minutes on a walk through your neighborhood. Pay attention to what you see.
December 23: Spend 23 minutes in silence and solitude.
December 24: Spend 24 minutes writing down hopes for the coming year.
December 25: Merry Christmas!
Outward Mindset Application
Refrain from complaining or saying anything negative about other people this week.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
Tis the season of giving and receiving! What opportunities exist for you to become curious about the unique needs of people around you? What pathways exist for you to help meet those needs?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Activism (Seeking change on behalf of the powerless):
During the holiday season, many communities and agencies offer opportunities to volunteer or contribute to special programs for our neighbors in need. This week, conduct an online search of opportunities to get involved in the next couple weeks.
Questions for Reflection
What do you most desire to be true about the world?
If you were Santa, who house would you visit first on Christmas Eve night?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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