Every Sunday of Advent we try and settle in together and take a moment to read, reflect, and center our hearts on that week’s theme fro Advent. As the we creep closer to Christmas, this grows increasingly difficult. We find ourselve trying to fit in so many things that are important to our family, people who are important for us to see, traditions we hold dear. Even today was filled with so many of our to-dos. We never regret this Advent tradition. It nestles Truth in our hearts and minds and the importance of us doing that together proves itself year after year.
This week, the theme is JOY! We focused our time of the passage from Romans 15.
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[b] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.”[c]10 Again, it says,
“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”[d]
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.”[e]12 And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”[f]13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15: 1-13
Vs. 13 gives us a formula for hope. The God of hope fills you with joy and peace, and then you in tunr pour out hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We discussed how joy fits into that. Joy can only be had when you have perspective to know that things could be different… Without Jesus, we would have no way to the Father. In vs. 9-12 speak of the Gentiles rejoicing for the salvation that was offered to them. Through the grace and mercy of Jesus, we have joy because Jesus give us hope. Hope for a future where all things will be made new. One were we are face to face with our Savior and the mysteries of our faith we long to know are revealed.
Here are some questions you can discuss:
- What is something you have joy in because you knew you didn’t deserve or earn it?
- Has there ever been a time someone shared joy with you and it gave you hope?
- Who is someone you can share joy with?