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WHY ARE WE WAITING?
Advent 1 - 28th November
O that thou wouldst rend the heavens,
that thou wouldst come down ..............
as when the melting fire burneth,
the fire causeth the waters to boil,
to make thy name known to thine adversaries
that the nations may tremble at thy presence! ..........
[Isaiah 64: 1-2 AV]
What a picture! I like it! It has stayed in my memory since I was young.
A clarion call for GOD's coming! No mamby-pamby stuff this. [NB. this is the given reading for Year 1 in our common lectionary]
EXERCISE 1:
Read Isaiah 64: 1-9 and compare it with Isaiah 2:1-5 [this week's reading]
How do they differ? What are the emphases they make?
Which speaks more to you?
Why are we waiting? a familiar cry! It usually means that we are waiting for someone else to do something for us. Are we? Who is coming? Will GOD?
Does GOD intervene in history? [compare Isaiah 64:1 in the NEB "Why didst thou not (!) rend the heavens"]
You say: "but GOD does act - Jesus was born!" Yes - but WHY, if GOD did act, why are we still waiting? What is the point of our waiting - of keeping Advent?
EXERCISE 2:
What are you waiting for? What pressing reasons are there for something to happen? this year?
[the answer is NOT to get Christmas over and have a holiday!]
From the prophetic, worldly point of view, the answer to the question "Why?" is simply that we need to start all over again. We need a new beginning, a new creation.
[the Bible story is full of 'new beginnings' from beginning to end: see Revelation 21!]
Maybe this is why we must keep Advent - because our world needs a fresh start or at least a real clean-up?
EXERCISE 3:
Make a list of the things you would put on your "clean-up" agenda ....... like
- all women being [treated as] equal with men
- all children being treasured
- all Christians being peace-makers
- and ......................................... and ....................................... etc
These could be the reasons why we are waiting for Christmas, do you think?
But the crunch is how to change these things and who will do it?
EXERCISE 4:
Choose who think will effect this change ..........
- GOD and Jesus
- the General Assembly
- the United Nations
- George W Bush when he is re-elected as President of the USA
- more money to the CWS Christmas appeal
- force of arms
- ................................................. or .................................................
NB discuss these alternatives carefully - there may be truth in all of them, but remember the world depends on you!
Remember that, in terms of the focus question of this study "Why are we waiting", the real Christmas cannot come until you and I have some answers.
Alternatively, we can eat and drink and worry how we are going to get over "Merry"
Christmas again this year.
Perhaps you should read the Gospel for this week [Matt.24:36-44] and consider!
SONG FOR THE WEEK: [Alleluia Aotearoa # 149 © Shirley Murray]
We wait for you,
we long for you to come
Lord Jesus Christ,
bring Christmas to our home!We covet peace,
the curing of the earth,
but not the pain
that carries it to birth. ............You wait for us,
you long for us to be
a birthing place for peace,
a justice tree,an energy for life,
a flag! a sign!
a fragrance in the air -
fresh bread, new wine!
EXERCISE 5:
Each pick a line or two and say where and why it speaks to you ..........
[why not learn the song - and get your congregation to sing it?]
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK:
Creator Spirit
bringer of birth and life and good,
may we see with your eyesthe chaos of human life,
the conflict of human power,
the confusion of human community,and be filled with the longing of your heart
for peace, compassion and justice.
EXERCISE 6:
Say this prayer slowly round the group - or make up your own prayer.
YOUR NOTES: