Hyde Park United Methodist

In Genesis, we discover that God’s creation of the first human being was incomplete until the creation of companionship. We are intrinsically wired to be in connection with other people. God said it was not good for us to be alone; in fact, we are not.

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Reflection Questions:
1. Who is the person (or the people) in your life that make you feel ‘known’? 

 2. What is one thing you can do to help alleviate another person’s isolation and make them feel that they are ‘of worth’?

 3. Name two things you can do to cultivate or nurture your primary relationships this week?

Just as Anna and Simeon received the baby Jesus and gained new hope for the future, we are to take the gift of Christmas and carry it with us all year round. 

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Reflection Questions:
1. How long do you tend to keep your Christmas decorations up in your house?
 
2. What memories do you have this past Christmas of different generations coming together?
 
3. How will you be a bridge between generations this upcoming year?

We are all familiar with the Nativity story. We know of Mary and Joseph, of the shepherds and the angels. But what about the setting? The stable and the manager? We take a closer look at the setting of the Christmas story and what implications it has on our lives.

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Reflection Questions

1. What are your favorite images and scenes in the Christmas story?

2. How will you make room for Jesus to be born anew into your life?

3. How will you allow Jesus to work through you to impact the lives of others?

Advent is a time of anticipating joy, exemplified in the Magnificat of Mary. Her soul rejoiced at the prospect of the arrival of justice, equality, and liberation for all people. That vision should both encourage us and motivate us to offer joy to others. 

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Reflection Questions:

1. When has fear ever blocked your sense of joy?

 
2. When have you experienced the joy of giving yourself in generosity to others?

 
3. What is God calling you to do, to move you from fear to joy by serving others?

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus, foretold by John the Baptist, who called us to “make his paths straight.” This can serve as a metaphor for peace-building and peace-making, which is at the heart of our Advent preparations. We should strive to be agents of peace, in our relationships with others. 

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HydeParkUMC.org/Christmas

Reflection Questions:
1. What “potholes” exist in your life that need to be filled by God?
 
2. How will you build bridges this week with people who are in a broken relationship with you?
 
3. How will you help remove barriers of injustice and inequity that prevent peace in our society?

Advent is a time of watching and waiting in expectation of the inbreaking of God’s power and love to be among us. We should not lose hope, and we should remain attentive and ready to respond.

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Reflection Questions 
- What are you waiting for, longing for, hoping for – deep in your heart – this Advent?

- Where do you see signs of ‘hope’ in the world? And how does that encourage you to share ‘hope’ with others?

- What Advent practices do you observe during this season? Or have you observed in the past?

Calling Jesus Lord is not just a statement we make; it is a life we choose to live. He is the pre-eminent expression of God’s full character and behavior. In him, we discover our truest purpose and meaning in life, and to him, we are called to be obedient and faithful.

The parable of the mustard seed is one of Jesus’ most famous and familiar parables. It reminds us that small acts of generosity, no matter how insignificant it seems, can be used by God to multiply into wider impact for a wide host of people. 

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Reflection Questions:
What new insights have you learned from the parable of the mustard seed?

What does the garden in the parable symbolize for you?

How have you experienced God’s love through the ministries of the church?

Our faithful generosity is a response to the generosity of God, who calls us to be responsible caretakers of all our resources. By saving, spending, and giving faithfully, we can create a storehouse of treasure that will be a solid foundation for the future of God’s kingdom, and help us “take hold of that which is truly life.” 

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Reflection Questions:
- What are your earliest memories related to money?
 
- When in your life have you felt truly and fully content?
 
- How will you be more generous in your time, your spirit, and your financial giving to the church?

We have been given an inheritance by God, which is the richness of grace and salvation, passed down through the generations. On this day when we celebrate the saints who have gone before us, we give thanks for their enduring example of faithfulness and generosity, and pledge to live out their legacy in our faithful giving. 

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