3rd WEEK of ADVENT: Begins December 17, 2017 In the third week of Advent, it is traditional to light the pink candle with the two purple candles. Pink is used to signify joy in anticipation of Christ coming into the world

WEEK 3, DAY 1
PREPARE TO LISTEN.  Light a candle and pray: The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
READ: Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’  The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.  Restore our fortunes, Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.  May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.  Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves
MEDITATIVE WORDS.  Thirsting for God
God’s people had experienced hardship of some sort (not explained in the psalm) but God had, at last, restored their fortunes (lives).  They feel euphoric—mouths filled with laughter and tongues with shouts of joy.  And yet, their prayer request (v4) is still: ‘Restore our fortunes, Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.’  The Negeb was a desert area that counted on yearly rains that filled the rivers and watered the parched land, allowing farmers to plant seed.  The image is of a people dry and parched, thirsting for God, for healing and wholeness, waiting, in vibrant hope for those yearly ‘rains.’  There is hope for those who ‘sow in tears’ or ‘go out weeping.’
REFLECTIVE WONDERING
The imagery in this psalm of planting and harvesting goes with the imagery of water.  Reflect on these images wonder what message God seeks to convey to you today through them.
RESPOND TO JESUS IN PRAYER 
You are a God who desires to see your people come to exuberant joy.  For all those who are experiencing sorrow today, may they be strengthened by your power and love to hope in your promise of a return with joy.  In the name of Jesus who came that our joy may be complete, Amen.
BE SILENT AND STILL: For a few moments, simply be in the presence of Jesus, who brings ‘rain’ in season.
 
WEEK 3, DAY 2
PREPARE TO LISTEN.  Light a candle and pray: The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
READ: Isaiah 61:1-4
The spirit of the LORD God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;  to provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.  They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former    devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 
MEDITATIVE WORDS.  Joy to the world
Jesus began his ministry in Nazareth applying the first 2 verses from Isaiah 61 to himself (Luke 4:18-19).  From Isaiah, we learn about Messiah’s mission.  Pay attention to what Messiah is sent to do, beginning with “to bring good news to the oppressed,” followed by six more, each beginning with ‘to’.  In each case, Jesus’ mission is a powerful ministry to the powerless, the disenfranchised and the marginalized, that is, the poor, the alien and the oppressed in our midst.  It is a mission to restore this marginalized group to a functioning community of well-being and joy.  This is the good news.  However, it’s not good news to those who benefit from keeping the poor in their place of poverty; keeping the alien at arm’s length.  Jesus isn’t good news to the rich and powerful.  Jesus is good news to those who struggle.  He will reverse their experience—a garland (a sign of victory celebration) instead of ashes (a sign of mourning, including mourning for sin).  Notice the two other times the word ‘instead’ is used in the same sentence, denoting transformation for the better.  This is joy to the world.
REFLECTIVE WONDERING
Wonder how ready you are today for this joy to the world.  Are you ready for Jesus’ transformative work in you and in the world?  Are willing to give up the status quo so that those on the periphery can join in the joy with you?  Who are they in your town?
RESPOND TO JESUS IN PRAYER 
Lord Jesus, we love to sing, ‘Joy to the world,’ but we’re reluctant to give up our status so that joy does reach the world.  Forgive us, I pray, and help us live joyfully today, Amen.
BE SILENT AND STILL: For a few moments, simply be in the presence of Jesus, who truly is ‘joy to the world.’
 
WEEK 3, DAY 3
PREPARE TO LISTEN.  Light a candle and pray: The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Read: John 1:19-28
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’  He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’  And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’  ‘Are you the prophet?’  He answered, ‘No.’  Then they said to him, ‘Who are you?  Let us have an answer for those who sent us.  What do you say about yourself?’  He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord” ’, as the prophet Isaiah said.  Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.  They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’  John answered them, ‘I baptize with water.  Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’  This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
MEDITATIVE WORDS.  Just a voice
I love John the Baptizer’s abrupt responses to his religious critics.  He refused to answer their questions.  When asked, ‘Who are you?’ instead of telling them, he categorically denied being Messiah.  And then he twice rather abruptly answered with, ‘I am not,’ and even ‘no’.  When his questioners insisted on an answer, he quoted from the prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness” (Is 40:3).  Many would have recognized the saying and understood John’s role as forerunner of Messiah.  His questioners, however, were reluctant to accept John’s claim.  John, of all people!  A man of humble birth; a wild man in the lonely desert!  They don’t believe him and accuse him of false preaching.  John ignores their skepticism, refuses to give proof of his role.  He boldly pints beyond himself to one they don’t know but who is already among them; the one greater than himself; the one whose sandal thongs he’s unworthy to untie.
REFLECTIVE WONDERING
John was willing to be ‘just a voice.’  Are you willing to, give up status and acclaim and just be a voice for Jesus during Advent?
RESPOND TO JESUS IN PRAYER 
The humility of John reflects your own humility, Lord Jesus.  Teach me to be more like John and help me be a voice for you in our world today so that your Name is glorified and honored because of me, Amen.
BE SILENT AND STILL: For a few moments, simply be in the presence of Jesus, who comes with humility.
 
WEEK 3, DAY 4
PREPARE TO LISTEN.  Light a candle and pray: The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise the words of prophets, 21but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.  May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
MEDITATIVE WORDS.  He will do this
The first part of the passage lists 8 do’s and don’ts.  We’re to rejoice, pray, give thanks.  We’re not to quench the Spirit, despise Scripture (words of the prophets), instead we are to test everything, hold fast to good and abstain from every form of evil.  It’s all rather burdensome until you read the last verses and discover it’s not so much about what we do and don’t do, it’s about what God does and will do in us.  God will sanctify us fully, keeping us ‘sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’.  It’s not just our souls, but our whole being, including our bodies, that God is concerned to make blameless.  We mess up often and sometimes we give up, thinking, ‘I’ll never be able to change.’  Stop trying!  Stand and let God work in you.  Yes, practice and practice the 8 do’s and don’ts, but remind yourself that, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.”
REFLECTIVE WONDERING
Pick just one of the 8 do’s and don’ts and practice it today.  Each time you fail, repeat the last sentence of the passage.
RESPOND TO JESUS IN PRAYER 
Lord God who sanctifies me, today I’m going to practice and practice … (name the 1 thing you picked).  When I fail, I’ll try again because I know that you called me to holy living and you are faithful and will see me through to the end.  In the power of your Spirit, I pray, Amen.
BE SILENT AND STILL: For a few moments, simply be in the presence of Jesus, who will do what he says.
 
WEEK 3, DAY 5
PREPARE TO LISTEN.  Light a candle and pray: The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
READ: Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’  But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’  Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’  The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.  And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God.’  Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Mary was probably no more than 13 or 14 years old when the angel Gabriel visited her.  It cost her to become a Godbearer.
MEDITATIVE WORDS.  A Godbearer
To many of us, this is a very familiar story.  And yet, we love to read it again and again.  Perhaps we love to read it so often because it brings back so many memories from our past.  I remember hearing this story for the first time in Sunday school when I was five years old.  I was immediately hooked.  Mary was to bear the Son of God!  What could be more amazing than that.  I went home and asked my mother if I would ever be like Mary; if I would become a Godbearer.  Perhaps I mostly wanted to be considered God’s favored one, just like Mary.  It was years later that I discovered I am a Godbearer.  So too are you who follow Jesus.  We’re to take God into the world just as Mary brought God in Christ into the world.  Perhaps not ‘just like Mary’.  Obviously no more virgin births!  But our lives are to be lived in such a way that others around us experience Jesus through us.  We take Jesus to the world through what we say and, more importantly, how we live.
REFLECTIVE WONDERING
Remember the first time you heard this story; recall your reactions and compare them with your thoughts today.  Wonder how you can be a Godbearer in the world today.
RESPOND TO JESUS IN PRAYER 
Like Mary, we too would be Godbearers for you, Lord Jesus Christ.  Give us Mary’s courage to face whatever difficulties and struggles and joys this may bring our way.  For the sake of your name, I pray. Amen.
BE SILENT AND STILL: For a few moments, simply be in the presence of Jesus, before you take Jesus into the world where you go today.