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Luke 21:25-36

Advent And God’s Better Way

December 1, 2024

First Sunday in Advent

Lectionary Year C

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

Good morning!
To get started today, I have a question to ask you.
Let's say someone wants to help you out with something, but it's not something that you are interested in.
For example, I was thinking we could talk about your 401K. If you want, I can help you with your 401K.
But, and this important, do you have a 401K? …do you know what a 401K is?
No? Hmm.
Be honest, now. How likely are you to really listen to my advice about your 401K, then?
Not very well, right?
However, someday you might have a 401K. And THEN you might want my advice, right?
And that's how it goes with lots of things in life.
For some of us, we really can’t learn about something until we think we need it – even if others are ready to teach us about it before we know we need it.

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

So in today's scripture story, Jesus is telling his disciples that the same thing is true for why some people might choose to pay attention to God.
People might not learn about or want to pay attention to God until they experience pain, injustice, violence, and lots of other scary and not-nice things happen.
Then, Jesus says, when these scary things happen, especially in a big way, like wars and disasters, that's when people will start saying, "You know what? The way we do this isn’t working. We need to do it a different way and we need help figuring out that different way."
It is during these scary times, then, that Jesus is saying the world is more likely to listen about God's better way.

And, Jesus promises that his words that teach us about God’s better way will always be there for us to listen to.

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

But here’s the thing – we don’t have to wait until things are really bad before we start listening to words about God’s better ways.
We can start now. Today would be a great day to do so (or continue to do so)!
Because…today is the first Sunday in Advent.
Advent is the time of the year leading up to Christmas in which we prepare to receive Jesus and his teachings about God's better way.
And, should we choose to listen and act on Jesus’ words about God’s better ways now, then we will be better prepared to share those same words about God’s better way to a world that is more and more ready to listen.
That is 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 shows us how to live…

…your better way…

…and then share it…

…with those around us.

Thank you and Amen

Originally posted November 15, 2015

Updated on November 2, 2024

Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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