Christian Reflection and Prayer

Second Sunday Sunday of Advent

[Light the first candle on the Advent wreath.]

The prophet Isaiah wrote, "See, I am sending
my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare
your way; the voice of one crying out in the
wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make
his paths straight.'" (Mark 1:2-3)

And John, the messenger of God, proclaimed to
all the people who came to him in the wilderness
that they must repent of their sins and be
baptized. Many people heard his message,
repented, and were baptized in the river Jordan.

It has become our custom to prepare for the birth
of the Messiah by decorating our cities and homes,
hanging the lights inside and out, singing "Frosty
the Snowman" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer," and measuring the quality of our
Christmas morning by the number of gifts we receive.

[Light the second candle.]

As we light this second candle in preparation for the
coming of the Messiah, perhaps we need to listen
again to John the Baptizer's message, preparing the
way of the Lord:

…make straight the paths

  …repent of your sins

     …be baptized

       …and live holy lives devoted to God.


COME, LORD JESUS. AMEN.

Scripture:

Read John 1:29-42.
John 1:29-42: He first found
his own brother Simon .... (John 1:41a)

Reflection:

Some brothers and sisters get along really
well. They get along so well they can work
side by side at the same job, then gather
together for Christmas and the other holidays.
That appeared to be the case for Andrew
and his brother Simon Peter in the Bible.
They made a living by fishing together. And
when the Savior invited Andrew to follow Him,
the first thing he did was to find Simon and
bring him along. They had fished together
all their lives; now they would follow the Son
of God together.

I hope your family is that close. But that
doesn't always happen. Often get-togethers
are more like civil wars. We all know getting
together should heighten our enjoyment of
Christmas, but sometimes the only way to
have a peaceful Christmas is to stay apart.

Transforming a broken-family Christmas is
difficult, but not impossible. You just need a
peacemaker. The trouble is most brothers
and sisters end up on one side or the other.
We need someone from the outside to come
in and bring peace.

That's where God's Son stepped in. He
became human and came into our world to
be our peacemaker. First, He tackled our
most important broken relationship-the one
between God and us. He did that by taking
our place and going to the cross to suffer God's
wrath for all the wrongs we think, say and do.
Having won our pardon from God His Father,
He transforms us. He gives us a new heart
that feels true love and forgiveness toward our
enemies, even if those happen to be our own
brothers and sisters.

PRAYER:

Great Savior, if my family gathers
together this Christmas please bless our time
together. If there is any festering hurt or offense
dividing us, bring us together peacefully through
Your sacrifice on the cross. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

First Sunday of Advent
(November 27, 2011)

But in those days, after that suffering, the sun
will be darkened, and the moon will not give its
light, and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in
clouds with great power and glory. But about
that day or hour no one knows, neither the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Keep alert, for you do not know when the time
will come…in the evening, or at midnight, or at
dawn. Keep awake. (Mark 13:24-26, 32, 33, 35, 37).

Such amazing things happen in the sky to
herald the return of the Son of Man:
…Jesus, coming in the clouds
  …the sun grows dark
     …the moon doesn't shine
       …and stars fall from the heavens

So different from that first coming more than
2000 years ago:
…with angels singing of God's glory and peace
on earth
   …with the single star guiding the way to the
manger
     …with shepherds and wise men -- rich and
poor -- coming to worship

And so we watch, and wait, and stay alert,
waiting again for the coming of Jesus.
And we light a single candle in preparation for
that glorious day.

[Light the first candle on the Advent wreath.]

…And even if the sun should grow dark
   …even if the moon refuses to shine
     …even if the stars should fall from the sky

…we will have Jesus, the Light of the World, to
shine brightly in our hearts, lighting our way.

 COME, LORD JESUS. AMEN.