1^st Sunday in December (Week 49) Jesus’ Purpose (Luke 4:16-30; Isaiah 42:1-9 and Psalm 22; Luke 4:16-30 and Mathew 5-7 and Galatians 5)

In order to understand the significance of Jesus Christ, we have to hear and understand what he taught. Modern people often confuse what Jesus taught with the teachings of other moral philosophers or even the dictates of common sense. More than one person has erroneously attributed the saying “A stitch in time saves nine” to the Bible. More educated people confuse Descartes’ words “I think therefore I am” with the message of Jesus. And many Christians think that the teaching of Jesus is summarized by the Golden Rule to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” None of that is the essence of Jesus’ teaching.

Jesus teaching was more complex, because it had to do with more than lifestyle and more than morality. It had to do with salvation. It had to do with ultimate concerns like justification, redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life. It wasn’t just about doing good. It was about being good, when under the conditions of existence it was impossible for anyone to be good. His teaching did not aim to help you “try your best”. It aimed at helping you “become perfect”. It was not really about overcoming adversity, but overcoming The Adversary.

Team Meditation (Isaiah 42:1-9 and Psalm 22)

One of the most compelling images about the coming of Christ is Isaiah 42:3:   “³ a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench …” The Christmas season will bring out many who are “bruised” and “weak”. Some of the people who attend worship for the first time in December may well be contemplating suicide later in February. They are some of the most fragile of God’s guests who are invited to the feast of Christ’s birth. We need to especially train our worship teams to treat them with honor and delicacy. It is not that we should say little about faith, and more about fellowship, lest we scare them away from Christ. We actually need to say more about faith, and less about fellowship, lest we confuse them that the experience of “church” is somehow the same as the experience of “Christ”. It won’t take them long to see through the sentimentality of our salutations and the shallowness of our fellowship, and we do not want our shortcomings to be projected onto Christ. No, this is the time to be forward with our faith, and assertive with our love, and celebrative with our joy. There is a great urgency right now to introduce the “bruised” and the “weak” to the fullness of God in Christ.

The goal of every worship team should be to help a bruised reed heal to grow straight and tall; to help a dimly burning wick flame up stronger to withstand the winds and currents of daily life. We should begin listing, by name or by description, individual people we have encountered that the Spirit has revealed to us as “bruised” or “weak”. Pray for them individually before worship; seek them out individually after worship. They need all the encouragement they can receive.

Worship Theme (Luke 4:16-30)

Good news to the poor, release to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, liberty to the oppressed, and acceptance for all. These are all wonderful things, and it is easy to assume that these things represent the essence of Jesus’ teaching. Yet it is not these teachings which get Jesus into trouble with the good citizens of Nazareth, nor will it be these teachings that lead to Jesus’ crucifixion. The problem is not with these teachings, but with his claim:

Luke 4:21  ²¹ And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Jesus claims that these promises are being fulfilled at that instant, and since it is obvious to all that people are still poor, captive, blind, oppressed, and rejected, his claim therefore suggests that there must be more to the condition of being poor, captive, blind, oppressed and rejected than meets the eye. Maybe the source of all that evil is something beyond time, politics, and educational processes. Maybe the remedy is beyond human control. Maybe the remedy requires divine intervention.

And Jesus is clearly saying that divine intervention is necessary. And he is clearly saying that he personally is the embodiment of this divine intervention. No wonder the good citizens of Nazareth are skeptical. They’ve know him from childhood. They probably smiled away the stories of his miraculous birth as the fancies of a devoted mother. They probably thought Jesus arrogant to claim a significance beyond his station.

The fact is that the message is the messenger … and the messenger fulfills the message. People are not going to cease to be poor, captive, blind, oppressed, and rejected because of any public policy change, educational program, or affirmative action. It will only really occur if they and the world are transformed by God.

The bottom line is that when people read the prophecy of Isaiah about good news for the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed, and the rejected, their skeptical reaction is always: “Yeah right … when hell freezes over!” Now here comes Jesus to announce that with his coming, hell is about to freeze over. Good news, of course! But wow! That’s a heck of a leap of faith for the good citizens of Nazareth!

Worship Design (Luke 4:16-30)

Let’s face it, the world has pretty well gone to hell-in-a-handbasket.  The world’s poverty doesn’t appear to be decreasing.  Wars, civil and otherwise, are ravishing more innocents than combatants.  Genocide, suicide bombers, disease, natural and not-so-natural disasters make the headlines, but there’s so much of it that we have to turn our heads.

But when, on those occasions, we feel noble and powerful, we are tempted to take as stand, to get political or to get busy and bring about change, especially social change.  If we, as the Church, would just stand up together in one voice and demand justice and mercy then we could make the world a veritable Garden of Eden!  And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what the Gospel is all about!

Not!  Jesus didn’t rally his disciples to be lobbyists – indeed, he and those who followed him and would one day write the New Testament suggested that Christians simply get along with whatever the government program was and make a difference in other ways. 

In Carlo Carretto’s I, Francis, a historical fiction on the life of St. Francis told in the first person, Francis says:

“I did not challenge the poor people who came with me to fight for their rights, or win salary increases.  I only told them that we would be blessed – if also battered, persecuted, or killed.  The Gospel taught me to place the emphasis on the mystery of the human being more than on the duty of the human being.  I did not understand duty very well.  But how well I understood – precisely because I had come from a life of pleasure – that when a poor person, a suffering person, a sick person, could smile, that was the perfect sign that God existed, and that he was helping the poor person in his or her difficulties.”

Though we may want to do so much more, the work of a disciple on mission with Jesus is to go forth to face the people, that is, the individual, not to face off with the plight.  Hard words in a litigious “free” society who’s motto was once something about tired, poor, and huddled masses.

Getting the message across begins with recognizing the overwhelming, insurmountable social problems of the world.  If you have an in-house video ministry, make a video collage of clips from broadcast and video sources that show the world’s poverty, the ravages of war, current disasters, and so on.  Use a musical bed of Audio Adrenaline’s Hands and Feet.  If you have the ability, paste the lyrics within the video and use it as a congregational song.

Use a clip from the video The Constant Gardener (2005) as another opportunity to illustrate the overwhelming plight of the poor and oppressed.  Use the clip where Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz) expresses her concern at the overwhelming scenes of poverty and disease she sees in the African streets.

From this point, use the rest of the service to provide a vision beyond the traditional “Organize!” response to the ills of the world.  Take the opportunity to explore the myth that science and humanitarian efforts can solve the human dilemma – perhaps even any human dilemma.  As often as not, history has shown us, our “solutions” create as many or more problems than we started with.  Conclude with a vision of Jesus’ plan of transformation rather that social reformation – touching one heart, one life, one soul at a time.

Bill T-B

Small Group Discussion (Luke 4:16-30 and Mathew 5-7 and Galatians 5)

Over the years the church has involved itself in many social reformation projects to cure the ills of humanity.  Many of these efforts have accomplished great good.  Some of the efforts have left cultures, regions, and nations in worse shape than if we’d done nothing at all.  The question we need to be asking, though, is this what Jesus expected the church to do?  Was this a part of the Divine plan?

Discuss the following during your small group time.

1. Jesus claimed that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah  61:1-2.  But he also claimed that there would always be poor people in Matthew 26:11.  How can both statements be true?
2. How do Paul’s words about obedience to “the law” support or refute the church’s efforts to legislate social reforms?
3. According to these scriptures, what was Jesus’ plan for social reform?  His plan for personal transformation?
4. What do you believe Jesus expects the church to do about the poor or the poorly off in its community?  What do you believe Jesus expects you to do about the poor or the poorly off in your neighborhood?

Bill T-B

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2^nd Sunday in December (Week 50) Jesus’ Purpose (John 8:12 and 9:1-41; Isaiah 60:1-5 and 19-22; John  8-10 and 1 John 1:5-2:17)

This is the logic of the earliest Church. They thought about it for over 100 years after the birth of Christ. This is what they decided.

• God is Light. There is no “dark side” to God and no dark enemy that is stronger than God.
• Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. He is the light shining in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it.
• Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross brought us from darkness into the light. His blood rescues us from groping in the dark.
• If we are in the Light, we have to behave like we are in the Light. No more groping. No more excuses for evil habits. We are held accountable for a newly receive ability to “see the truth”.

The image of light, therefore, is not really a metaphor of a candle in the darkness or a spotlight in the night. It is really an image of being in broad daylight and constant sunshine. Finally we can see where we are going … and where we should be going. Being in Jesus and walking with Jesus mean the same thing.

Team Meditation (Isaiah 60:1-5 and 19-22)

Isaiah 60:1-2  ^RSV Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.  ² For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

There are many passages in the Bible associating Jesus with light. Indeed, when the disciples first saw Jesus transfigured before their eyes, and when later they saw Jesus radiant rising into heaven, they stood transfixed and unable to move. The phrase “deer caught in the headlights” comes to mind. They were so awestruck they were frozen. If you see a deer frozen before the headlights on a lonely road, you honk the horn to frighten it to move. The disciples were frozen by the light of Christ … and angels appeared to jolt them awake and get them moving.

Leaders walk in the light. They seek clearly right from wrong, good from ugly, truth from error, and no matter what the penalty or cost they always walk toward what is good and beautiful and true. Do people see you do that? Do people automatically associate your behavior with faithful behavior? Can you say of your leadership teams (choir and band members, ushers, readers, and preachers): “If you want to know what it means to be faithful, just follow them around for 48 hours or so … they know where they are going?”

Worship Theme (John 8:12 and 9:1-41)

The Gospel of John is the last of the gospels to be written, so John had a long time to think about the significance of Jesus. No doubt his stories are true stories, but there is more than one layer of truth. John not only says what happened, but he unpacks the deeper significance of what it means.

So when John tells the story of the healing of the blind man by the pool of Siloam, it is more than a good story. It is an allegory. It is a story in which every element is a symbol of greater significance. The blind man is not just a blind man. He is “Everyman”. Humanity itself is born blind, caught up in an original sin, unable of our own volition to ever perceive perfection, much less achieve it. This is a hard saying for modern ears to hear. We pride ourselves in our individuality and higher learning. We believe that we should be rewarded for our achievement, and that we can earn what we receive. We believe in the power of education, imagination, and intuition. It is hard to hear God say to us: “You are blind. Despite your education and experience, you are blind. Absolutely blind.”

But there is hope. “Everyman” is healed by the “Son of Man”. Christ literally brings us out of the darkness and into the light. He is the light of the world. The authorities in the story mocked the blind man who can see, and so John is saying that the authorities in our world will mock our claims to have been blind and now be able to see. After all, they will say, what do you know? How can you know? You are nothing. You are unprofessional, untrained, unlearned, and therefore unreliable. Yet Christians affirm the one and only thing of which they are certain. Jesus did it. I was blind; and now I see; and Jesus did it.

Worship Design (John 8:12 and 9:1-41)

The great thing about parables and stories is that they’re windows into our souls.  The bad thing is that they’re metaphoric and sometimes we have to make a pretty big leap for the application.  John’s account of the man born blind is one of those accounts.  Sure, the man born blind represents our spiritual blindness, but let’s face it...he was blind.  There were no illusions about his blindness.  He knew he was blind and the whole world around him knew he was blind.  Jesus brought him out of utter darkness into the blazing light of day.  It was astounding, amazing, and life-changing. 

But let’s face it, most of us don’t really believe we’re blind.  As Tom said, we pride ourselves in our individuality and our higher learning.  We know we’re not blind because we can see.  The world is rich in colors and textures.  The world we see is animated, alive, thriving.  But spiritually blind?  Why, even a significant number of atheists describe themselves as spiritual beings (in fact, 27 percent of them pray regularly – Barna Report, 21 July 2001).  It’s hard to convince someone who thinks they can see that they’re blind (see 9:39-41).

There are two levels to the design of this service.  The first level is an exploration into what it means to be “blind” even though we think we can see; the second level is Tom’s profound recognition that Jesus isn’t a candle, but the bright day (and so we’re without excuse when it comes to stumbling).

You will be using two film clips for this service.  The first is from The Truman Show (1998).  Use one of the opening clips that shows Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) blatantly oblivious to the fact he’s being “watched.”  Take some time to explore the fact that Truman was unaware of his “blindness” to the reality around.  You may want to draw on Paul’s reminder that our struggles aren’t against what we can see, but against a world that we cannot see (Ephesians 6:10-12).

The second film clip illustrates Jesus as the light (as opposed to a candle).  Use the scene from Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972) when Francis (Graham Faulkner) goes into his father’s textile works and is appalled by the dark, dank working conditions and leads the workers (slaves??) out into the light.  The scene is an emotional example of Tom’s “Bright Light” principle in the theme above.  Use this clip to explore what it means to be filled with light (also see Matthew 6:22-23).

Bill T-B

Small Group Discussion (John  8-10 and 1 John 1:5-2:17)

John’s Gospel and his letters are both theologically and metaphorically weighted.  One of the most prevalent metaphors he uses is light versus darkness.  The story of the man born blind is much more than just another miracle story – John uses that story to illustrate the spiritual blindness of the Jewish religious leaders of the day.  For John, light and darkness symbolized Kingdom living versus World living and the extreme differences between the two lifestyles.

1. Why do you think the healing of a man born blind created such a controversy among the religious leaders?
2. In these passages Jesus makes some harsh statement to and about the religious leaders of his day.  What were the shortcomings of these religious leaders?  Where do you see these same shortcomings today?
3. John asserts that there is an observable difference between those who walk in light and those who walk in darkness.  What are some of the characteristics of someone walking in the light?  How would someone walking in the light make decisions about holiday spending?  About their employment?  About how they spend their time?  About their relationships?

Bill T-B

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3^rd Sunday in December (Week 51) Jesus’ Purpose (1 Corinthians 13; Hosea 11:1-4, 8-12; John 14-16 and 1 Corinthians 11-14)

What does the phrase “Perfect Love” mean to you? Do you automatically think of the attachment of trust and affection between a woman and a man? Or do you automatically think about sacrificing one’s own life for the sake of another? Or do you automatically think about the grace God would give to an undeserving world? The New Testament answer would be “all of the above.”

Perfect love is revealed in Jesus Christ, because God emptied himself to take the form of a slave, so that all the slaves could be restored to the purpose God originally intended. The sacrifice one’s life for another person points to this larger truth. Even the affection and unity enjoyed by a man and woman points to this larger truth.

We keep looking for examples to illustrate what we mean by “perfect love”, but no single experience quite captures it. This is because no matter what experience we use to define perfect love, that love is still limited by time and space. We see it imperfectly, and grasp it uncertainly. In the end, there is only one experience of “perfect love” to which all others are mere approximations. That is the experience of Jesus Christ.

Team Meditation (Hosea 11:1-4, 8-12)

After 16 years of consulting with churches and training church leaders, I have come to the conclusion that any pastor that claims to “love his/her church” is lying. At best they may love certain people in the church, at certain times, but by in large the best pastor are profoundly (and painfully) aware of the stupidity, selfishness, and sinfulness of church people. I think church people are often even more stupid, selfish, and sinful than ordinary people. God has a knack for gathering the worst of humanity together in one place.

The love a pastor has for church people is more akin to Hosea’s stormy marriage than to an ideal harmony of affectionate couples. If you will recall, Hosea’s wife continually betrayed him to prostitute herself with other gods. Hosea was chronically hurting, but never gave up on his marriage. He was always forgiving, generous, hopeful, and ultimately confident. Please note that I make no intentional male/female distinctions here. The story plays equally well (and perhaps truer to real life) if it is a woman pastor whose faithless husband constantly betrays her. Seen in that light, the pain and the power of the pastoral relationship is made more explicit.

What accounts for a pastor’s constancy and confidence even in the midst of chronic sinfulness in the life of a church? Hosea saw that his marriage covenant was tied to a greater, deeper, more abiding covenant between humanity and God. The pastor sees that her/his church covenant is tied to a greater, deeper, more abiding covenant with Jesus Christ.

The bottom line is that neither Hosea nor the pastor can keep going in their own “marriage” unless their greater, deeper, spiritual “union” with God is alive and healthy. In the end, pastor, nobody asks you to love your church. God asks you to love Jesus, and that will help you love your church.

Worship Theme (1 Corinthians 13)

Most people reflect on the deeper meaning of love at the wrong solstice! They think about it in June at the summer solstice, when wedding bells right, flowers bloom, and everything seems right with the world. They should think about it in December at the winter solstice, when Christmas bells ring, snow is falling, and everything seems dark and gloomy. That’s when love is revealed … in the bad times. It’s no accident that part of the Christmas story in Matthew involves the death of innocent children and a flight into Egypt. Pain burns away all the sentimentality, to get right down to the purity of perfect love.

In June, we are but children. We experience love like children. We celebrate love like children. In December, we are all grown up. Many of us have been divorced several times, endured innumerable broken promises, experienced countless disappointments, and are thoroughly cynical and skeptical. So now is the time to rediscover love … perfect love … the love of Christ for his chosen ones.

It is not possible to describe this love that God has for us in Jesus Christ. Prose won’t do it. Even poetry won’t do it. Paul tries both and fails. You just can’t explain it. You just have to feel it. And how do you come to feel it? How do you begin to even glimpse the depth and breadth of God’s love for you? By going deep into faith and risking everything in hope. Faith is a means, not an end. Hope is a process, not a destination. Love is the end. Love is the destination. And if we would find perfect love, we must go deep into faith and stake everything we have in hope.

Worship Design (1 Corinthians 13)

Love is painful.  Oh sure, it has its moments of joy and even happiness, but ultimately, love hurts.  Jesus told his best friends in the world that they were to love each other just like he loved them – and within a few hours he was executed on their (and our) behalf. 

Paul’s litany of love in this week’s passage is almost certainly the most-cited biblical passage in marriage ceremonies.   However, as tender and touching as the words may be, it is instructive to remember that they weren’t written for sentimentality purposes – they were written because Corinth was struggling with loving one another and needed to be reminded that love is the appropriate response whenever we are hurt, wronged, sinned-against, insulted, betrayed, and so on.   But love is more than turning the other cheek.  Perfect love is sacrificial to the nth degree. 

Illustrating perfect love is difficult, if not impossible, outside of showing the crucifixion clip from one of the many “Jesus” movies (Passion of the Christ, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus of Nazareth, The Robe, etc.) – it’s much easier to show what perfect love is not.

So, just how adventurous are you?  If you’re really adventurous and you have the “right” crowd, begin this week’s session either by watching or assigning in advance the 1999 film The Story of Us (R mostly for language) with Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer.  The movie is about a couple who’s been married fifteen years and have discovered that perhaps they don’t love each other anymore.  It can be a painful movie to watch, especially for those who have experienced divorce; however, it has its redeeming features as the film reminds us of some of the more poignant realities of marriage.  Although it has a “happy” ending (okay, I just spoiled it for you if you haven’t seen it), it highlights the difficulty of commitment in marriage, let alone ongoing love.  If you’d rather use a single scene from the movie, there’s a great conversation between Ben (Willis) and Stan (Rob Reiner) about fear and guilt in relationships that would work (this scene ties in well with the passage “Perfect love drives out fear” -1 John 4:18).

If you need something a bit more “G” rated, use the scene from Funny Farm (1998) where Andy and Elizabeth Farmer (Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith-Osborn), who are in the midst of separating, are showing their house to perspective buyers.  The Currier and Ives setting is undermined by the tension between Andy and Elizabeth (the scene ends with them deciding not to sell the house but to remain married – a bit of a movie spoiler for those who haven’t seen it yet).

In the way of music, consider using Nazareth’s Love Hurts.  Although the lyrics conclude that the cost of love is too high and that “love lies,” the sentiments echo the difficulty some people have coping with the Christmas season.

If you didn’t use the crucifix Christmas ornament idea for the Seeker Cycle, second week of December, this would be a good opportunity to do so here, since the crucifixion of Jesus is the ultimate illustration we have of perfect love.  You may use the illustration here, or go online for a full-sized version that can be cut out and affixed to a two to three inch piece of PVC pipe and then used as a Christmas tree topper.

Bill T-B

Small Group Discussion (John 14-16 and 1 Corinthians 11-14)

What is perfect love and how do you find it?  In the spring of the year when roses and romances bloom love is ignited with just the smallest of sparks.  But in the darkness and the bitter cold of December, kindling love can be neigh-on impossible.  Even though we may go “walking in a winter wonderland,” the stresses of the holy-day season may still “get to us” and undermine our relationships.  In John, Jesus teaches his disciples what perfect love is all about – and how they are to share that love with one another.  In Corinthians, Paul is dealing with the realities of what the Greek dramatists might have called EveryChurch: perfect love is hard to find, let alone to emulate in real life...even in the church.

Discuss the following in your small group:

1. On the last evening before his execution, Jesus tries to explain and illustrate perfect love to his closest friends.  In what ways does he characterize love? 
2. What would “perfect love” look like in a church setting?  Discuss especially how believers would treat one another.
3. The church in Corinth had developed some problems in its fellowship.  Look through the letter and identify some of them.  Do you see any similar problems in the wider North American church?  In your church?  What does Paul suggest as correctives to these issues?
4. What could your group do to embody Jesus’ love to others?  What will you do?

Bill T-B

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4^th Sunday in December (Week 52) Jesus’ Purpose (Luke 2:1-20; Isaiah 9:1-7; Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 1-2 and Philippians 3:1-4:7)

Here is the difference between Christian disciples and the rest of the world. The rest of the world will forget about Jesus tomorrow. Isn’t it amazing that for weeks the anticipation of Christmas has been building, but literally the day after Christmas it is all forgotten? The Christmas music stops on the radio; the lights are turned off; the tree is carried outside; and the ornaments are packed away. It may still be snowing, but the snow has lost its romance and is merely a nuisance. The stores may still be selling the same products, but now they are only just products and have ceased being potential “gifts” that will make someone happy. Christmas spirit disappears overnight.

Christ’s spirit continues. Christian disciples are not done with Christmas once Christmas is over. This is why the theme of Jesus’ Purpose will continue through the end of January. We will keep talking about Jesus, thinking about Jesus, and strive to shape our lives around Jesus. If you wish, keep on singing the Christmas carols … or fast forward and start singing Easter hymns. It’s all about Jesus. They new year belongs to Jesus. The experience of Christ (like absolute love) never ends.

Team Meditation (Isaiah 9:1-7)

In this particular year, Christmas day is a Sunday, and there has been a great deal of discussion about what to do in worship. Some churches have cancelled worship altogether (assuming families would prefer to be at home by themselves on Christmas morning), or blended multiple worship services into one, or move worship to the afternoon or evening. Many clergy and leaders are tempted to “relax” on this Sunday with a shorter sermon, and abbreviated liturgy, and less music (because the choirs, bands, and volunteer teams have so many absentees).

What we don’t realize is that this is a growing dilemma every year. The last Sunday before Christmas is increasingly a time when church members “drop out” of worship … traveling to visit grandchildren or grandparents, recovering from Christmas parties, catching up on last minute shopping, or just panting with exhaustion. Are we coming to a time when Christmas will actually be observe by veteran members of the church more by their absence from worship than by their presence in worship?

If the Christian movement is to live up to the real meaning of Christmas, and keep momentum for mission going, this trend must be reversed with a higher standard of Christian accountability. What standard of accountability will become the norm for your worship teams today and in the new year?

The discipline of your leadership standards are directly proportionate to the degree to which you believe … I mean, really believe … the words of Isaiah. The more you believe that Jesus has come for this, the more committed and sacrificial you will become. Absolute belief in the words of Isaiah will allow you to make ultimate sacrifices for the sake of Christ and the Gospel.

Worship Theme (Luke 2:1-20)

I think every religion has at its root and fundamental story. The cult of Mithras, long ago, was based on a fundamental story about a son of the gods slaying a bull. Islam has a fundamental story of the Hajj or pilgrimage of Mohammed to Medina. Judaism has a fundamental story of the Passover and Exodus. These stories “say it all”. Everything the religion has to say about God, life, hope, and salvation is revealed in that story. That story is often remembered in rituals and rites practiced over and over again by the adherents to that religion.

Well, the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke is such a story. It is not just a story. It is a window into God’s nature and God’s purpose. This one story, with its images of innocence, mystery, inclusiveness, compassion, joy, and promise encapsulates everything that the Gospels and Epistles will later try to explain. This is why the story of incarnation … the birth of the Christ child … has figured so prominently in Christian art and worship. It’s all there. Every word, action, and character in the story reveals a deeper significance and meaning that ultimately encompasses all of human experience. You read this story and say “This is it! That’s the meaning and purpose of life!”

It is difficult to pick out any one element in the story as more revealing than another. In the seeker cycle, I highlight the urgent need for seekers to “listen to Christ” in the midst of the cacophony of the world. But in order for this to happen, Christian disciples must imitate Mary and “ponder these things in our hearts”. We must ponder, pray, and consider the multiple layers of meaning and significance in the story of Jesus’ birth. We must carry them in our hearts, because there will be times of suffering ahead, and unless we have this story firm rooted in our hearts we might lose courage and faith. Only if Christians “ponder these things in our hearts” can we help seekers “listen to Christ”.

Worship Design (Luke 2:1-20)

How do we make the fundamental story of Christianity our own?  What would it take to personalize it, internalize it, and live by it?  In Tom’s words we must “ponder, pray, and consider the multiple layers of meaning and significance in the story of Jesus’ birth.”  This week’s worship is set to do just that.

Begin by playing a scene from the old movie The Never Ending Story (1984).  Use the clip, toward the end of the movie, where Bastion (Barret Oliver) is reading the magical book in the school’s attic and the Empress (Tami Stronach) explains that the one reading the book has to call out her name.  In the scene Bastion realizes that the book depends on him as the reader to make it real.  Use this scene to introduce our own need for making the “fundamental story” of Christianity our own.

Move into a discussion of what it takes to personalize, internalize, and live by a story, especially keying on Tom’s “ponder, pray, and consider.”  Tell them that they will get two different opportunities to make the story their own.  In both of the following exercises, the internalization comes with the participant answering the question “What am I going to do about it?” 

The first experience is a small group exercise.  First, break the participants into groups of four to engage in a Bible study using the Discovery Questions (you might invite them to write the six questions on the flyleaf of their Bibles – they can use the Discovery Questions to lead a Bible study anywhere, anytime).  Tell them that they will have about thirty minutes for the exercise.

Instructions for using the Discovery Questions

Break into Groups of Four (three to five people per group, preferably no two family members in a group)

In the group, read the assigned scripture passage aloud

Designate one person to read the Discovery Questions one at a time

Each person in the group answers all questions – discussion is encouraged

1. What did you like about the passage?

2. What did you not like about the passage?

3. What did you not understand about the passage?

4. What new thing did you learn about God or the Kingdom of God from the passage?

5. What idea or phrase do you want to take away with you?

6. What are you going to do about it?

When the time is finished, have them come back together as a larger group.  The second experience is a solo-prayer.  Remind the group about the Ignatian Imaging Prayer that they learned and practiced in November (Fourth Sunday in November, Disciple Cycle).  Then give them ten to fifteen minutes to engage in Imaging prayer in this passage.  When the time is complete, encourage some to share their experiences with the larger group.

To make a lasting impression, distribute a Christmas decoration with the nativity scene on it – and then challenge the participants to display it year round to remind them of the fundamental story of the faith.

Bill T-B

Small Group Discussion (Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 1-2 and Philippians 3:1-4:7)

We all have a story.  It may begin, “I was born in...” or it might start with “I became a ____ when...”  Each of the Gospel writers began the story of Jesus differently.  Matthew begins with Jesus’ lineage and then goes into the story of Jesus’ incarnation.  Mark skips Jesus’ childhood altogether.  Luke begins with Jesus’ extended family as they prepare the way.  And John begins at the very beginning – before the creation of the world.  As you read this week’s scripture passages, listen for the story and consider, how do these stories intersect with yours?

Discuss the following in your small group.

1. Before reading the scriptures in your small group time (if that’s your group’s habit), have the group members recount the narrative of Jesus’ birth as if they were telling it to someone who had never heard it (no fair peeking!).  Have someone take notes. 

2. Read the two birth accounts in your small group.  How are Matthew’s and Luke’s account of Jesus’ incarnation different?  What elements do they have in common?

3. What elements of the story did the group leave out, embellish, or add?  Is it important?

4. Discuss Paul’s story as he told it in Philippians.  If someone asked you to recount Paul’s story, would it sound anything like his?

5.  Have each one in the group introduce themselves in terms of their faith – as if they were introducing themselves to a complete stranger.

Bill T-B