Hyde Park United Methodist

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus, foretold by John the Baptist, who called us to “make his paths straight.” This can serve as a metaphor for peace-building and peace-making, which is at the heart of our Advent preparations. We should strive to be agents of peace, in our relationships with others. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/ChristmasReflection Questions:1. What “potholes” exist in your life that need to be filled by God? 2. How will you build bridges this week with people who are in a broken relationship with you? 3. How will you help remove barriers of injustice and inequity that prevent peace in our society?

Advent is a time of watching and waiting in expectation of the inbreaking of God’s power and love to be among us. We should not lose hope, and we should remain attentive and ready to respond.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/ChirstmasReflection Questions - What are you waiting for, longing for, hoping for – deep in your heart – this Advent?- Where do you see signs of ‘hope’ in the world? And how does that encourage you to share ‘hope’ with others?- What Advent practices do you observe during this season? Or have you observed in the past?

Calling Jesus Lord is not just a statement we make; it is a life we choose to live. He is the pre-eminent expression of God’s full character and behavior. In him, we discover our truest purpose and meaning in life, and to him, we are called to be obedient and faithful.

The parable of the mustard seed is one of Jesus’ most famous and familiar parables. It reminds us that small acts of generosity, no matter how insignificant it seems, can be used by God to multiply into wider impact for a wide host of people. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAllHydeParkUMC.org/EOGReflection Questions:What new insights have you learned from the parable of the mustard seed?What does the garden in the parable symbolize for you?How have you experienced God’s love through the ministries of the church?

Our faithful generosity is a response to the generosity of God, who calls us to be responsible caretakers of all our resources. By saving, spending, and giving faithfully, we can create a storehouse of treasure that will be a solid foundation for the future of God’s kingdom, and help us “take hold of that which is truly life.” HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAllReflection Questions:- What are your earliest memories related to money? - When in your life have you felt truly and fully content? - How will you be more generous in your time, your spirit, and your financial giving to the church?

We have been given an inheritance by God, which is the richness of grace and salvation, passed down through the generations. On this day when we celebrate the saints who have gone before us, we give thanks for their enduring example of faithfulness and generosity, and pledge to live out their legacy in our faithful giving. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/LoveForAll

Our generosity begins with the generosity of God, who calls us to be in a special relationship together, for the benefit of the world. This is the basis of the important biblical concept of covenant, seen most vividly in the call of Abraham. And just as Abraham gave a tenth of his belongings as a response to God’s covenant, we are called to be generous as a response to God’s goodness. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydePartkUMC.org/LoveForAllReflection Questions:1. How have you experienced God’s unconditional love for you? In what ways do you struggle with believing that?2. How have you seen God loving all people through this church?3. How will you respond with gratitude and generosity to God’s love in your life?

As we recognize and celebrate of missions partners this week, we are reminded of the Great Commission. As followers of Jesus, we are charged with bringing the scriptural truth to all the world.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘missions’?2. In what way is God calling you to be a light that shines for others?3. What missions partnerships in our church will you learn more about and get involved in?

Jesus calls us to forgive, no questions asked, or excuses accepted. It is a requirement of all those who would choose to call themselves Christian.HydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulHydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What do you think is the relationship between 1) God’s forgiveness of us, and 2) our forgiveness of others? 2. What for you is the most difficult aspect of forgiveness? 3. What steps will you take to move toward forgiveness between you and someone else?

Love is the chief distinguishing feature of a follower of Jesus. It is one whom, in Wesley’s words, the “love of God has been shed abroad in their hearts.” The Great Commandment (attested in each of the synoptic gospels) is a vivid expression of this call to love.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions:1. How does the way you love a person change as your relationship changes over time? 2. In what way is time more a “pressure” than a “privilege” to you these days? 3. How will you spend more time sharing it in love for God and others?

God calls us to seek the way of justice, which is a central norm of the Hebrew scriptures and an integral part of Jesus’ vision for the kingdom.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions:1. What is your understanding of justice? What new things did you discover about justice that are helpful?2. How will you live a just life, in the way God intends you to live?3. How will you help create a just community, helping others to be a full and equal part of it?

We are called by God to contribute to the flourishing of all human beings, because every person is of sacred worth.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions: 1. How do you understand the sacredness of life to be an essential part of Christian character and ethics?   2. When have you ever felt “out of tune” with God’s image in you? When have you felt “in tune”? 3. How will you contribute to the flourishing of those around you? 

We live in a world where adherence to agreed notions of truth is elusive. We are more prone to seeing deceit, delusion, and distraction rather than truth. Good and faithful Christians claim the truth of God, even if it is uncomfortable and inconvenient.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions:1. In what ways do you see a need for more truthfulness in our world today? 2. How do you think truthfulness and trustworthiness are related? 3. What will you do to be a more truthful person?

God has made us to be a spectacle “theatron” of the world, so we should model the kind of holy life to which we have been called.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsHydeParkUMC.org/GoodandFaithfulReflection Questions:1. What do you think constitutes good character?2. Which of the five qualities do you emulate best, and which do you have to work on?3. What would it mean for you to be a “light of the world” this week?

Jesus calls us to love our enemies, those who are hardest to love, despite what they might have done to us.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. Who are the enemies in your life?2. What does Jesus mean when he says, “pray for those who persecute you”?3. How can you pray for your enemies this week?

Jesus calls us to a selfless love, which regards the dignity and worth of others, regardless of our differences.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. Which character(s) in the Good Samaritan story do you most identify with? 2. When have you been helped by a person who is different from you in some way? 3. What next step will you take to love others across our differences?

Jesus calls us to love God with the entirety of our lives: heart, soul, mind, and strength.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What is your experience each day in trying to figure out what to wear?2. Who in the church has been a spiritual influence in your life?3. How will you be more actively engaged in worship?

There may be many causes of fear in our lives, but in many cases, the greatest and most reliable antidote is the love of God, for “perfect love casts out fear.”HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What would your life look like if you more fully abided in God’s love? How would your family, community, co-workers, church, people in the community know?2. Where do you have fear? How can love enter into it?3. How might you live love without fear this week?

God loved us so much that God gave us Jesus (John 3:16). We are called to love one another, as an expression of the love of God (1 John 3:16)HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What does it mean to ‘lay down’ one’s life for a friend?  Can you give an example of that?2. What are some ways you see our church loving ‘in deed and truth?’3. Where is Jesus standing in front of you, inviting you to boldly show love to a neighbor?

The light of God’s love convicts us of our sins, especially in the ways that we mistreat each other and cause harm.  HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepshttps://www.barna.com/research/christians-more-like-jesus-or-pharisees/Reflection Questions:1. What do you think it means to be a follower of Jesus? 2. How do your answers to the Barna survey make you more like Jesus? More like the Pharisees? 3. What changes will you make in your life to follow Jesus better?