December Advent Reading Guide Accompaniment from Pastor Amy
DEC. 7 Isaiah 11:1-10
The Peaceful Kingdom
11 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
COMMENTARY
What a beautiful picture of this world. No fear. No war. Only peace and justice, love and kindness. This is what Jesus brought to us. This vision, this possibility. If only….
Dec. 8 Micah 5:2-3
The Ruler from Bethlehem
2 [a] But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
COMMENTARY
The promise made and the promise kept. The baby would be born in Bethlehem. A new king of Israel. Not a ruler of the land, one with armies and resources, but a ruler of people’s hearts. Jesus was born to be THAT kind of ruler.
Dec. 9 Zechariah 6:12-13
Zechariah 6:12-13
New Revised Standard Version
12 say to him: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch: for he shall branch out in his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he that shall build the temple of the Lord; he shall bear royal honor, and shall sit upon his throne and rule. There shall be a priest by his throne, with peaceful understanding between the two of them.
Jesus often used common items in our world to describe something much bigger. In one parable Jesus calls himself the vine and God the gardener (John 15). God cuts out the branches that are non-producing and prunes the others making a healthy and fruitful vineyard. Jesus came so that we would grow healthy and strong, live in the Sonshine and thrive. That from Jesus a temple would be built and the world would find peace.
Dec. 10 Malachi 3:1-6
The Coming Messenger
3 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.[a]4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
6 For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished.
COMMENTARY
Jesus came to light up our world. To help us see and learn a better way. When we hold ourselves up to the example of Jesus, we find ourselves in need of refinement, sharpening, and purification. As we wander through our lives, may we see ourselves as Jesus sees us. May we seek to transform ourselves from raw minerals into precious metals. We are loved, better/more than silver or gold.
Dec. 11 John 1:1-8
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
COMMENTARY
The light has come. The light that shines into our darkest places, warms our hearts and brightens our lives. It is this light that offers a rich and joyful life to all who seek it.
Dec. 12 John 1:9-18
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[a]
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[b] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[c] full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,[d] who is close to the Father’s heart,[e]who has made him known.
COMMENTARY
God loves us so much that God sent his Son to live with us. To experience all we experience. To know life. Jesus was born into less than our idea of ideal surroundings. His mother, unmarried. His family, poor. At one time, a refugee. His career, common. He knew pain and happiness, loss and love. When we pray to Jesus, he understands us. Pour out your heart to Jesus. He cares.
Dec 13 Prayer
A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition (Contemporary Version)
I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be put to work for you or set aside for you, Praised for you or criticized for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and fully surrender all things to your glory and service. And now, O wonderful and holy God,
Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer,
you are mine, and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it also be made in heaven. Amen.
Rejoice!
Rev. Amy Shipley
Bennett’s Corners Community UMC