Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96:1-4
Luke 2:5-7, 13-14
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Still, Still, Still
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Mary Did You Know
There’s a Song in the Air
Go, Tell It on the Mountain
Angels We Have Heard on High
O, Holy Night
Once in Royal David’s City
Silent Night
Joy to the World
Luke 1:46-55
Psalm 126
My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout
People, Look East
To a Virgin Meek and Mild
Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
Joy to the World
How do you feel God has favored you?
Have you ever made decisions that resulted in someone having more compassion on you?
Have you ever experienced or witnessed the cliché “pride goes before the fall.”?
When have you been the receiver of mercy?
How have you experienced a change in circumstance from crying to joy? What caused the change?
The second Sunday of Advent is centered on the theme of peace.
Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 3:1-6
Prepare the Way, O Zion
My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout
To Hear the Angels Sing
Noel
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Who do you listen if you want your life to change?
Have you wanted God to speak to you?
What are you willing to change in your life for peace?
What does peace mean to you?
What does it mean to live at peace with God?
Jeremiah 33:14-16
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Psalm 25:1-2, 4-5, 8-10
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
Wait! Watch!
Away in a Manger
My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout
We Three Kings of Orient Are
What do you wish God would bring about in your life?
How do others help you to see God?
How does knowledge help you to have hope?
How might prayer impact you having hope?
What is your prayer for yourself and others?
What are the things you wonder about in life that inspire you?
What are the things that make you hopeful?
2 Samuel 23:1-7
John 18:33-37
Our God Is an Awesome God
Come, Christians, Join to Sing
Be Thou My Vision
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!
What words would you want to leave behind?
How has a good leader directly impacted your life?
What the things you feel that God has given you?
Has your life been turned upside down in a negative way because of the actions of another person?
What type of leader do we choose to follow?
What city will live in safety? Clue: Jeremiah 33
What will God be called? Clue: Jeremiah 33
Mark 13:1-8
Psalm 16:1-2, 5-7, 11
Great Are You, Lord
All Creatures of Our God and King
God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending
Thanksgiving Medley
Take My Life
What are the things that impress you? Why?
What would surprise you if it fell apart?
Have you ever wanted to know how something will turn out before it happens?
Have you ever felt hopeless? Why?
Where do you draw strength from when things are difficult?
Who provides victories? Clue: 2 Samuel 23
Who joined David at Harvest time? Clue: 2 Samuel 23
What are the risks we should be taking in life and how do we know which ones to take?
Read MoreThe story of Ruth offers us freedom in so many but what does it say when we are in the midst of grief or tragedy?
Read MoreThe series on justice wraps up by putting passages of scripture alongside music from The Greatest Showman. The music displays a tenacity of how hard justice is to do even when it is something that we long to have for ourselves and for others. What is the story of justice we want our lives to tell?
Read MoreHow often do we think about acts of justice resulting in freedom, dignity, and peace for ourselves and others? How do we understand our day to day actions as be engaged in acts of justice?
Romans 5:1-11
Isaiah 32:16-17
Psalm 35:24, 145:17
Canticle of the Turning
Lord, Prepare Me
In Christ Alone
Horizon (A New Day)
Called as Partners in Christ’s Service
How does God impact the way you live day to day?
How have difficult situations or events changed you for the better?
How have you felt God’s love in your life?
What types of relationships do you think would be helpful for you in the future?
What does a restored relationship with God look like?
Who will shepherd the sheep? Clue: Isaiah 61
Who will be the farmers and the vinedressers? Clue: Isaiah 61
Isaiah 1:16b-17 – Remove your ugly deeds from my sight. Put an end to such evil; learn to do good. Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.
Romans 1:16-17– I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is God’s own power for salvation to all who have faith in God, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. God’s righteousness is being revealed in the gospel, from faithfulness for faith, as it is written, The righteous person will live by faith.
Romans 3:21-26 – But now God’s righteousness has been revealed apart from the Law, which is confirmed by the Law and the Prophets. God’s righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who have faith in him There’s no distinction. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, but all are treated as righteous freely by his grace because of a ransom that was paid by Christ Jesus. Through his faithfulness, God displayed Jesus as the place of sacrifice where mercy is found by means of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness in passing over sins that happened before, during the time of God’s patient tolerance. He also did this to demonstrate that he is righteous in the present time, and to treat the one who has faith in Jesus as righteous.
Quote
“God calls all human beings to live in relationships with God and their neighbors, relationships that express love, justice, and peace. These qualities are called virtues, or admirable traits; they empower human beings to realize their highest potential. People arrive at this stage through the grace of God and by practicing the virtues-by being honest, kind, generous, forbearing, and just. – Thomas L. Schubeck’s book “Love that does Justice”
Glossary of Terms
-Rightouesness (dikaiosyne) – is that quality of life in relationship with others in the community that gives rise to justice.
-Judgment/Justice (kima/krisis) – is the establishment of the right, and of the person in the right, through fair legal procedures.
-Righteous/Justified Ones(dikaios/dikaioi)
-To justify - to set right
Music Playlist
Standby Sly and the Family Stone (1969)
What’s Going On? by Marvin Gaye (1971)
How Do You Like Me Nowby Toby Keith (1999)
Gloryby Common and John Legend (2014)
Further Conversations with Others
(This is a challenge to engage others in conversation over the next week. Here are a couple of questions to help discuss with others)
How do you think the relationships you currently have are impacting your perspective on justice and righteousness?
What new relationships do you need to cultivate to learn more about righteousness and justice?
Luke 18:1-8
Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 24:17
God Welcomes All!
Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Goodness Is Stronger than Evil
Wonder
O for a World
What do you think it means to judge someone fairly?
Have you ever felt like you were denied justice? How did that make you feel?
How often has persistence been the deciding factor in your life?
How do you think God provides justice for you?
How do you extend justice to someone else?
In what can we take pride? Clue: Romans 5
What does character produce? Clue: Romans 5
Luke 10:25-37– A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?” He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?” Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” - CEB
Isaiah 42:1-4- But here is my servant, the one I uphold; my chosen, who brings me delight. I’ve put my spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations. He won’t cry out or shout aloud or make his voice heard in public. He won’t break a bruised reed; he won’t extinguish a faint wick, but he will surely bring justice. He won’t be extinguished or broken until he has established justice in the land. The coastlands await his teaching.
Quote
“Justice in its most general sense is a virtue that empowers a person to give everyone what is due. What is due all persons includes respecting their personhood and giving them equal treatment precisely because they are human beings.” – Thomas L. Schubeck’s book “Love that does Justice”
Glossary of Terms
-Rightouesness (dikaiosyne) – ethical standard – right relationship, gift, requirement, duty
-Judgment/Justice (kima/krisis) – retributive justice, restorative justice – advocating/taking steps to seek out the vulnerable
-Righteous/Justified Ones(dikaios/dikaioi)
-To justify - to set right
Music Playlist
Respect by Aretha Franklin (1967)
Who Has the Answersby Andy Kim (1972)
Heal the Worldby Michael Jackson (1992)
Roarby Katy Perry (2013)
Further Conversations with Others
(This is a challenge to engage others in conversation over the next week. Here are a couple of questions to help discuss with others)
Have you ever felt something was unjust? Why did you think it was unjust?
How do you think something can go from unjust to just or vice versa?
How do you generally handle an injustice? Do you think there are other ways to deal with injustices?
How do we climb out of the pit when all we can see around us is the negative?
Read MoreO Day of Rest and Gladness
God Is Calling through the Whisper
For the Beauty of the Earth with All Things Bright and Beautiful
Song of Hope
What has made you want to fall at Jesus’ feet?
How do you respond to other people’s needs?
How often do you try to be a healing presence to someone else?
How often is finding healing a pleasant process?
How often do you share good words or stories with others?
What did Peter do to Jesus? Clue: Mark 8
What does complacency do? Clue Proverbs 1
Wisdom is a topic that is often overlooked and hard to describe. Today we delve into it not just for ourselves but looking at what if our entire community lived wisely.
Read MoreNew Rules for a new life.
Read MoreLong term satisfaction is something that we want but are we willing to do what we need to do in order to find it?
Read MoreJesus disrupts our thinking, our actions, and reactions but how often do we dismiss it or are too fearful to embrace it?
Read More