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John 1:1-18

Getting The Word Out

January 2, 2022

Second Sunday in Christmas

Lectionary Year C

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
Have you heard about the movie that just started showing at theaters (or on Netflix)? I hear it’s pretty good and lots of people want to see it.
Do you know what movie I’m talking about!? (either they’ll say “What movie” or they’ll assume they know what you are talking about and they’ll start telling you about it. If all of them say, “What movie?” have a couple of new kids movie in mind to share – and ask if they’ve heard of one or more of them)
So, how did you learn about the movie that we were just talking about? (other people talking about it; commercials online and on TV, other movies)
And let’s say you went to see the movie and liked it – do you think you might tell others about it?

All these ways that we learn and share information about something like a new movie we often call, “Getting the word out.”

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

I wanted us to think about “getting the word out” because in today’s Gospel story, we hear there was going to be a new person who was going to share God’s word, God’s love, and God’s light to the Israelites.
But we also hear that the Israelites didn’t know about that new person yet – just like some of us didn’t know about that new movie.
We then hear that John the Baptist was busy getting the word out about this new person–who we know was Jesus.
The story uses a fancy word, though, for “getting the word out.” The story says that John the Baptist was testifying about Jesus.
John the Baptist testified to the people about what Jesus was saying and doing and then told the people that they should go see Jesus for themselves and hear what he was saying.
This is just like if you saw a movie that you really liked and then you went and told others to go see it, too, because it was so good!

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

Today’s Bible story reminds us that there were people who got the word out about what Jesus was doing and saying, like John the Baptist.
And, we can do the same thing as John the Baptist did – we too can tell others about Jesus, just like we tell others about a new movie.
But to share with others who Jesus is, we have to first know who Jesus was – what he taught and what he did – just like we have to see the movie before we can get the word out about the movie.
And, when we learn what Jesus taught and did, and then share what Jesus taught and did…
…we will be sharing with others the same love, light, and healing that Jesus shared with others.

And that’s the good news for today. Let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,
Dear God,

Thank you for Jesus…

…who shares your love, healing, and light.

Please help us…

…to share your love, healing, and light…

…like Jesus did.

Thank you and amen

Originally posted December 13, 2015

Updated on December 6, 2021

Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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Supplies: No supplies needed, but know a few family movie titles that were recently released.

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