A Year to Remember
Part 5 – A Year of Joy

This Sunday, Steph Littlejohn brings us the talk in the latest of our EBC Online services. Once you have watched the video, we encourage you to reflect on the bible text and join us in the prayer that follows below.

To listen to the talk click here.
 
Readings:

Luke chapter 2 verses 8 to 15
And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 
Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
 

Prayer & Reflection

Thank you heavenly father for the angels message of Joy.
Thank you Jesus that we can live a life of Joy if our lives are filled with your presence.
Thank you Holy Spirit that one of the amazing things that you are able to grow in us is joy.
Lord make us joy livers and joy givers
We pray
Maranatha come Lord Jesus
It may be that you feel the events of the last year have stolen your joy.
We pray
Maranatha, come Lord Jesus
You may know of someone that has had all of their joy taken from them, and needs you love today, we name them before God
We pray
Maranatha, come Lord Jesus
We think of a place in the world today that needs your presence Jesus
We pray
Maranatha, come Lord Jesus
We lift to you the coming year and all that it will bring                     
We pray
Maranatha, come Lord Jesus


Questions to consider

1. Read this familiar passage a couple of times. What jumps out at you or surprises you as you read it this year? Why do you think that is?

2. The Shepherds lived in an occupied country doing a hard and smelly job. And yet the Angels brought a message of joy for them in their extreme circumstances. Have you been able to hold on to your joy through the extreme circumstances of the past 9 months? If so, how? If not, what has disrupted it?
 
3. This year we have been given reason to be afraid. How easy or hard has it been to heed the message of the angels to not fear and rejoice in the presence of Jesus? Why is that?
 
4 The shepherds heard the angel’s story, the offer of joy and peace, and chose to search out the presence of Jesus. Joy is a choice. Are you choosing to live in fear or the joy and peace that the angels spoke of?
 
5. We can face all that the next year will bring us with joy, because we can know the presence of Jesus in all circumstances. In the coming days and months what will you do to keep your focus on the presence of Jesus? What are you going to put in place to maintain your joy and be a joy liver and a joy giver?