Getting Ready for Christmas Discussion Guide - Week 1

Welcome
Welcome to the Advent series – Getting Ready for Christmas. We all want Christmas to be special – something more than a series of shopping trips, seasonal music, food, and family gatherings. We want more than a few familiar carols and a nativity scene. But too easily Christmas can come and go and we are left with the thought that we have survived Christmas again. This series seeks to break down the few weeks of preparation into specific steps that, taken with intention, allow us to experience Christmas as Wonder. And as many big events begin, our first week focuses on cleaning the house.


Opening Prayer
God, as we start this new series, renew our hope in you and the belief that you are at work in our lives and in this world. Open the eyes of our hearts to the things that need to be swept away or put in order. May our conversations lead us to greater understanding of you and of one another, and a new way to experience Christmas. Amen.


Ice Breaker
What house cleaning task is your favorite? Is there a task you put off or avoid entirely? What might make it more enjoyable for you?


The Head
In the first chapter of Luke we are told of the introduction of John the Baptist to Jesus. Both are born of remarkable circumstances and have significant roles in God’s plan for salvation.

Luke 1:13-16, 39-41
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John. He will be a joy and a delight to you and many people will rejoice at his birth… for he will be great in the Lord’s eyes. He must not drink wine and liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. He will bring many Israelites back to the Lord their God.”

Then Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  

• What do these verses tell us about John the Baptist?
• What do you think is the significance of John’s reaction in the womb? 
• Do you think his leap was in response to Jesus or to Mary? Does it matter?  
• How do you think this detail might prepare us for the incarnation of God as human?

We don’t read anything about John again until he begins preaching, as Isaiah the prophet spoke: “A voice crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight” (Isaiah 40:3). Just as he leapt in his mother’s womb acknowledging Jesus as Messiah, he is once again pointing to the Messiah as Jesus begins his public ministry.  

Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the rule of emperor Tiberius – when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea, and Herod was ruler over Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler over Abilene – during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiphas, God’s word came to John, son of Zechariah in the wilderness. John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins.

• Who are the people referred to in verse 1? Why do you think Luke was so specific in his introduction?  
• What was John’s main message during this time?
• Why did John spread this message throughout the region if Jesus was here to spread that same message anyway?
• How does his message encourage us today to prepare for Christmas?

The Heart
A clean house can positively affect your mood by reducing stress, promoting feelings of calm and well-being, increasing a sense of control, and providing a more organized environment. In turn, this can lead to improved focus and overall satisfaction with your surroundings. Sounds like a perfect place to start preparing for the holidays – making room for the decorations and the people who will share the space. Just like cleaning a house, decluttering our minds of worries and concerns can make it easier to focus, make decisions, and feel at peace.  

• In what ways does your physical space impact your mood and spirit? 
• What do you think clutters your relationship with God? 
• What particular concerns do you have as you prepare for Christmas this year?

The Hands
With Thanksgiving so late in November this year, the time to prepare for Christmas will go fast for most of us. We may feel pressed to make do with less preparation. We need to remember the importance of anticipation and of hope in this first week of Advent. Hope is both an optimistic state of mind based on expectations, and a radical act of defiance in the face of the impossible. That is exactly what Christmas offers us.

• Make a list of ways you might clean this season. You could include specific household projects or perhaps some paring back of activities.  
• Make a list of your hopes for Christmas. Be prepared to share some of your thoughts  with your group next week.  
• Make a list of anticipated resistance to your preparations.  

Closing Prayer
Thank you, God, for all that you have prepared for us. Thank you for the people in this group. We ask that you be with us as we get ready for Christmas. Give us times of reflection. Show us what we need to clean up. In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen



From Pastor Charity
ADVENT DEVOTIONAL
I’m excited to share that I wrote this year’s Advent Devotional. It’s called Advent 2024: A Calendar of Devotions. As a church, we're going to read it and I’m so honored. My goal was to bring Advent to everyday life from stories about my boys, myself, family and challenges to be an even better church. This project was a joy to write.

To read along, sign up for the Advent email list.