week of December 29, 2024

This Week’s Lectionary Scripture

First Sunday After Christmas1

The Christmas season lasts twelve days, from Christmas Day to Epiphany on January 6. During this time, we celebrate the joy, love, hope, and peace of Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:12–17

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

  • Where do you see God’s new creation emerging?

  • How can we tangibly express the virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience more fully in our daily lives?

  • What spiritual practice might you use to create more space in your heart for others?

This Week’s Text from Sharing in Community of Christ

We Share A Mission2

Introduction

How do we share the peace of Jesus Christ in all of its personal, interpersonal, community, and worldwide dimensions? The church’s mission statement points the way:

We proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.

We Proclaim Jesus Christ!

We proclaim Jesus Christ through local and worldwide evangelism, including ministries of invitation, witness, inclusive fellowship, worship, caring, and lifelong disciple formation.

We Promote Communities!

We promote local and worldwide communities that signal (represent, reveal) the peaceful reign of God on Earth. Some call this the cause (hope) of Zion.

When we effectively proclaim Jesus Christ by sharing our witness, ministries, and sacraments and promote Christ-centered communities of justice and peacefulness, we are sharing the peace of Jesus Christ.

  • We tell others about Jesus Christ by generously sharing our witness, resources, and help. In what ways do your congregation, mission center, and personal ministry tell others about Jesus Christ?

  1. The scripture text is taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyrighted in 2021 by the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States, and made available through these Licensing and Permission Guidelines. Other text is adapted from this week’s Sacred Space resource for small-group ministry, provided by Herald Publishing House. ↩︎

  2. This text is adapted from pp. 20-21 of the fourth edition of Sharing in Community of Christ: Exploring Identity, Mission, Message, and Beliefs, which was copyrighted in 2018 by Herald Publishing House. ↩︎