Getting Ready for Christmas Discussion Guide - Week 2

Welcome
Hello everyone and welcome to week two of our current series called Advent: Getting Ready for Christmas. In the first week we discussed cleaning our spaces in order to focus our hearts and minds towards peace and, more importantly, on our relationship with God. This week we will be talking about the decorations we use, or that we enjoy, over the holiday season that add depth to this special time. Those types of decorations bring joy to spaces and have a way of setting this season apart. Let us open this time with a prayer.


Opening Prayer
God, we are gathered here together in your name. We ask that you bless our time with good conversations. Please open our hearts and minds to your words and help us to see deeper meaning. It is in your name we pray, Amen.  


Ice Breaker
Ok, now some people take heat for decorating for Christmas too early. Some may roll their eyes at lights on houses in the early weeks of fall, but there is something to be said about the reasons for early decorators. Maybe they are just looking for the hope that Christmas brings for as long as possible. When do you decorate? Are you an early bird or one that insists on waiting until after Thanksgiving? What are your thoughts on this, friends?


The Head
The readings this week are taken from the New Testament book of 1 Peter. Like many of the New Testament books, 1 Peter was written as a letter to new believers spread over great distances who were facing all kinds of hard life situations. The author encourages these believers to live holy and to be set apart.  

1 Peter 1:13-16

Therefore, once you have your minds ready for action and you are thinking clearly, place your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Don’t be conformed to your former desires, those that shaped you when you were ignorant. But, as obedient children, you must be holy in every aspect of your lives, just as the one who called you is holy. It is written, You will be holy, because I am holy.

• Why do you think it is important to have your mind ready for action as suggested above?
• Being shaped by desire has a dark connotation. How does our faith change that path?  In what ways can we avoid that darkness?
• Does obedience make us holy? What/who are we being obedient to?  

1 Peter 2:9-10

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

• What descriptive words are used in these verses to describe believers as “set apart”?
• These verses have a theme that you were once one way and now, something different.  What is the difference? How would you describe it?
• The collection of believers, even back then, was and is vast and diverse; crossing beyond culture, lineage, and borders. Why is it important to recognize that we, in unison, are God's people?

The Heart
Being set apart or holy is much like holiday decorating. Ok, hear this out, these things include doing something special as ways to prepare. They can be important steps to frame the scene as we celebrate Advent. They are practices we undertake in common ways to strengthen our relationship with God.  

• In what ways could holiday lights on trees or lights on houses remind us of our holiness?
• What decorations do we have to remind ourselves that we are set apart as children of God?
• What special practices do you have with friends or family that bring you peace, joy, and well-being over the holidays? How could those feelings be thought of as spiritual gifts from God?

The Hands
There is a truly important distinction that must be brought to light. Being holy or set apart does not mean being exclusive; an us versus them policy; certain believers versus everyone else. This is not true at all. The terms “holy” and “set apart” mean to be dedicated to God; to love God with our whole heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves, which is very inclusive. Like holiday decorations, to be holy and set apart should attract all kinds of people with warm feelings of hope and peace. Even more, much like the way we have different ways of decorating, our holiness can be expressed in different ways too.

• What are some ways we can be inclusive this holiday season?
• What are some ways we can show our dedication to God in preparation for Christmas?
• What are some different descriptions of your own holiness? How can you use those gifts this season?

Closing Prayer
Hey God, Thank you for the time we have to prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Thank you for the inspiring gift of the Advent season.  Help us to use this time to be a blessing for others in our space. Help us to seek holiness and please forgive us when we stumble. We ask that you show us the way to righteousness. It is in your name we pray.  Amen.


From Pastor Charity
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 reading through 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.