Invitation and Preparation
O God, make speed to save us
O Lord, make haste to help us
(Silence)
Let us pray:
Blessed are you, sovereign Lord, just and true: to you be praise and glory for ever. Of old you spoke by the mouth of your prophets, but in our days you speak through your Son, whom you have appointed the heir of all things. Grant us, your people, to walk in his light, that we may be found ready and watching when he comes again in glory and judgement; for you are our light and our salvation. Amen.
Listen and Receive
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:1-3
May the Word of God rest gently on our hearts, that when our hearts break the Word of God may flow in.
(Silence)
Reflect and Respond
It is with this passage from Isaiah’s prophecy that Jesus initiates His ministry in his own hometown. This message of healing and restoration, of wholeness and salvation, becomes the theme of Luke’s account of the ministry of Christ and the ministry of the Apostles.
We live in a time in between, the time between the initiation of the Kingdom of God in Jesus and the fullness of our life in the Kingdom when Christ returns. We can easily forget that Jesus boldly proclaimed that this prophecy had been fulfilled in Him. We can easily forget that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with Us.
I wonder, in this in between time, in what ways do you experience the presence of God? In what ways might God be inviting you to experience healing and restoration?
Blessed and Sent
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
In this season of light, may your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.