Abiding Joy is our theme for this Sunday, the 3rd Sunday in Advent. The readings are Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11; John 1: 6-8, 19-28.
As you read the paper or listen to the news be thinking about stories that you might be able to relate to these biblical readings, or stories that bring you joy. Think of ways in which these stories deepen your faith or expand your horizon.
Last week in worship we remember the International Committee to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). ICAN received the Nobel Peace Prize on December 9th, at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway. In her acceptance speech a spokesperson for ICAN said that abolishing nuclear weapons is not a pipedream, it is a human necessity. In our time of worship we also gave thanks to the Silence Breakers who have been honored by Time Magazine and the Person of the Year. And we offered prayers for the people who spoke out at the Truth Commission gathering sponsored by the Poor Peoples’ Campaign. Never under estimate the power of one person or a small group of people to make change happen–indeed there is no other way for change to happen. During the week I drove through the area in Wichita that is the site of the Habitat rebuild, just to see what is going on.
Good news is happening all around us. Take time to see and hear some good news, and then celebrate it and share it with others.
In friendship,
David