Scriptures and Reflection Questions for Christmas

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Year A
December 24 & 25, 2010

Collect
Christmas Eve:
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true
Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also
enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns,
one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

- - -

Christmas Day:O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus
Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence
behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
Year A


How to use this page:

Print this and read a different passage each day and think about it.  Some questions
are offered to help stimulate your reflection.  You'll find your experience of worship
on Sunday will be intensified.

For a method to read and pray with the scriptures you might try to use the ancient
practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).  We've written some instructions on
how to use Lectio with the Sunday Scriptures at the following link:
www.stpaulsfay.org/id272.html

We use the Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary.

 
The Lessons

Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:1-20  King James Version
___________________________

Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.

__________

What good news do you need to hear today?
_____________________________________________

Psalm 98
Sing a new song to God, *
   who has done marvelous things.

With your right hand, O God, and your holy arm, *
   you have won for yourself the victory.

You have made known your victory; *
   your righteousness have you openly shown in the sight of the nations.

You remember your mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
   and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

Shout with joy to God, all you lands; *
   lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.

Sing to God with the harp, *
   with the harp and the voice of song.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn, *
   shout with joy before God who reigns in majesty.

Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
   the lands and those who dwell therein.

Let the rivers clap their hands, *
   and let the hills ring out with joy before God, who will come to judge the earth.

God shall judge the world in righteousness *
   and the peoples with equity.

(The Saint Helena Psalter)

__________

How does this song of triumph connect with the birth of the child Jesus?
______________________________________

Titus 3:4-7

When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not
because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy,
through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured
out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified
 by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

___________

What is the hope that this passage announces to us?
_______________________________________

Luke 2:1-20 (KJV)
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius
 was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto
 the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because he was of the house and lineage
of David: To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she
should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
 swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them
 in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch
 over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the
glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel
said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the
 angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which
 is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste,
and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen
it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the
 shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And
the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they
 had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

____________

What images come to your imagination as you read this passage?

How might it affect your images to know that shepherds were regarded with great
suspicion in Jesus' day?  They were thought of as thieves and rogues, little better
than criminals.
_____________________________________________________


The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
  We aspire to...
     worship weekly
     pray daily
     learn constantly
     serve joyfully
     live generously.

Check our website: www.stpaulsfay.org

Sunday Scriptures and Reflection Questions for December 19

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
4 Advent, Year A
December 19, 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
Year A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to use this page:

Print this and read a different passage each day and think about it.  Some questions
are offered to help stimulate your reflection.  You'll find your experience of worship
on Sunday will be intensified.

For a method to read and pray with the scriptures you might try to use the ancient
practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).  We've written some instructions on
how to use Lectio with the Sunday Scriptures at the following link:
www.stpaulsfay.org/id272.html

We use the Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Collect

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
The Lessons

Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
___________________________

Isaiah 7:10-16

The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep
as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the
Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little
for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself
 will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son,
 and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows
how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse
the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will
be deserted."

___________

The context:  King Ahaz is threatened by an armed rebellion from the two kings of
Israel and Aram.  For protection, Ahaz wants an alliance with Egypt.  Isaiah counsels
Ahaz to trust God, not Egypt.  Isaiah says that this threat will be over within
the time it takes for a child to be weaned and take parental instruction.  The child's
name means "God is with us."  (The child is probably Isaiah's own child.)

What do you learn from this story?

When the Septuagint (the Hebrew Bible in Greek) translated the word for "young woman"
as "virgin," this passage either inspired the stories of the Virgin Birth of Jesus
or were the proof texts for the early church's story of Jesus' uniqueness.

What do you learn from that story?

_____________________________________________



Psalm 146:4-9

Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.

Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

O God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people?

You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.

You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.

Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Let your hand be upon those at your right hand, *
those whom you have made so strong for yourself.

So we may never turn away from you, *
give us life, that we may call upon your Name.

Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

The Saint Helena Psalter

__________

Under what circumstances might this psalm have been written?

Under what circumstances might it be spoken and prayed today?

______________________________________

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be  an apostle, set apart for the gospel
of God, which he promised  beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
the gospel  concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of  holiness
by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through  whom we have received
grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience  of faith among all the Gentiles
for the sake of his name, including  yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus
Christ,

To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

___________

This is the opening of Paul's letter to the church in Rome, an important church
which he had not visited.  Why did Paul begin his letter this way?  What was important
for him to communicate to them?

_______________________________________

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary
had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be
with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling
to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when
he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and
said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the
 child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are
to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place
to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,"

which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel
 of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations
with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

____________

When have your dreams helped guide you?

What does the story of the Virgin Birth mean to you?  Is it a metaphor to you or
 is an historical claim?  How is that important to you?