Advent discipleship group: week 4

ADVENT 4    Renewed in Christ’s image

We light all four Advent candles

Opening prayer

Blessed are you, sovereign Lord, merciful and gentle:

to you be praise and glory for ever.

Your light has shone in our darkened world

through the child-bearing of blessed Mary;

grant that we who have seen your glory

may daily be renewed in your image

and prepared like her for the coming of your Son,

who is the Lord and Saviour of all.

Blessed be God for ever.

Conversation starter

Optional props: a doll, or selection of dress-able play figures with moveable body-parts.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up, and why? (And what came of those dreams?)

Bible passage

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Romans 12:1-8

Explore

What might it mean to present our bodies as a living sacrifice?

Do you know what gifts God has given you to enjoy using?

What might be your function within the Church?

Closing prayer

Lord Jesus, light of the world,

blessed is Gabriel, who brought good news;

blessed is Mary, your mother and ours.

Bless your Church preparing for Christmas;

and bless us your children, who long for your coming.

Amen.