JR. Forasteros - July 7, 2013
Be Prepared
We who follow Jesus are anxiously awaiting his return. But how do we wait well? What does healthy waiting look like? Jesus tells a story about 10 bridesmaids waiting for a wedding - 5 who prepare to wait and 5 who don't. Those who don't prepare, who aren't stocked up on oil, miss the wedding. With this story, Jesus invites us to wait well by spending regular time making ourselves available to the Holy Spirit. That preparedness looks like reading scripture, prayer and other spiritual practices.
From Series: "Waiting for the Kingdom"
Jesus' disciples often asked him when his Kingdom would come in full, when this new life he always talked about would arrive. In response, Jesus told several parables that illustrated the tension we feel as we wait for his kingdom to come on Earth as it is in Heaven. Waiting in Jesus' new reality isn't passive. It's an active, intentional patience. So how do we wait well?
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New Year’s Eve is also the seventh day of Christmas, which means on New Year’s Eve, we’re barely halfway through the Church’s celebration of God coming among us!
Over the weekend, we’ll been wrapping up our last Christmas parties, getting in a little more travel to one more set of relatives, exchanging the last few gifts. We’re also turning our attention to 2018. School’s back in session in a couple of days, we return to our routines, and we hope this next year will be better.
So as we slide out of the Christmas season into the New Year, let’s talk about the hope we have for the new year.
Let’s talk about a hope we find in the Christmas story.
Something that gets lost in the Christmas season is the global sweep of the Christmas story. In the joy and beautiful chaos of the holidays, we lose track of the fact that Christmas was a world-changing event, that the angels declared to shepherds that Jesus’ birth was good news for ALL PEOPLE, a harbinger of peace for the whole earth.
What does it mean to celebrate Christmas with a global vision?
What does it mean to look for peace on Earth and goodwill for all peoples? How can our anticipation of the New Year be laced with hope both personally and for the whole world?
