Stepping Into Scripture: Liturgical Year C

By Lillith O'Shann Edmiston Moore

Stepping into Scripture is designed to teach you how to immerse yourself into God’s Word.

You will learn to take a scripture passage, construct a flow chart, and then write what God spoke to your heart and what God taught you.

Stepping into Scripture is a resource book designed for clergy, lay speakers, Bible study teachers, Sunday school teachers, accountability groups, or your own private study. God speaks to us through his Word. With Stepping into Scripture, you have the opportunity for God to speak to your spirit and be shown new insights.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638856986

Book preview

Advent 1, Year C

Luke 21:25–36

A Time Is Coming

In 1977, Roots—based on the book Roots by Alex Haley—premiered as a TV saga. After that, the world of genealogy changed. A majority of us went searching for our ancestors to see where we began. We were looking for any symbol or sign to find how we were connected to others.

A tree is a symbol of new life, and a branch is a symbol of newness growing out of hope. Some of us are familiar with Chrismon trees, which is a contraction for Christ monograms.¹ Ornaments are made from Christian symbols or signs of Jesus and our Christian faith. Some of these include a lamb, cross, seashell, dove, shepherd’s hook, angel, star, and chalice.

There is also a Jesse tree with symbols of the Messiah’s ancestors. Each day, a new ornament or sign goes on the tree to remind us of our faith heritage. For example, an ark or rainbow represents Noah, stars are for Abraham, a ram is for Isaac, a ladder for Jacob, a burning bush for Moses, a ram’s horn for Joshua, and a shepherd’s hook for David. The Jesse tree tells the story up to the birth of Jesus, which was his first coming to earth. Now we wait for his second coming. There are certain things we are to do while we wait.

We are to stand up and raise our heads because our redemption is near. Redemption is the buying back or setting free a slave or captive by paying a ransom through sacrifice.² We were all enslaved to sin until Christ Jesus became our sacrifice—our ransom, our redemption—and paid the ultimate price to set us free. Christ—our redemption—is near, as close as our next breath.

Christ Jesus—our redemption—delivered us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) and the bondage of the law (Galatians 4:4–5). Our redemption was accomplished by God’s grace (Romans 3:23–25) through Christ’s blood (Ephesians 1:7). The benefits of our redemption is justification (Romans 3:24), forgiveness (Colossians 1:13–14), and inheritance (Hebrews 9:15).

We are to be on guard so that our hearts are not weighed down by the worries of this life. We are to be alert at all times so we will escape the things to come and stand before the Son of Man. Through prayer and watchfulness, we can maintain faithful readiness because a time is coming.

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¹ United Methodist Church

² Nelson’s Biblical Cyclopedic Index

Advent 2, Year C

Luke 3:1–6

This Is a Test

Some of us may remember the ice storm of 2009. Those of us who lived through it remember it better than others. For days we were warned to prepare for road closures, power outages, food, and gas shortages. Warming centers were set up for those who would be without any heat or utilities. We were advised to have plenty of batteries and flashlights, fresh drinking water, and all of the necessities needed to survive. There were announcements from the EAS (Emergency Alert System). Some listened. Some didn’t.

John the Baptist was the early rendition of the EAS. Some listened. Some didn’t. Today we are called to be the early emergency system, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, preparing the way.

With the Advent season comes much preparation. If we prepare for guests in our home, we must survey our surroundings and critique our house to ensure all things are in order. We look through the eyes of others and we see the leaky faucet, the broken hinge, the ratty-old towels, and clutter everywhere! It is time to spruce up and prepare for our visitors. But it’s also a good time to see ourselves through the eyes of Jesus.

Do we need to display our good guest towels and hide those ratty everyday towels? Maybe our hospitality skills should be used more than during the time of Advent. Maybe we need to welcome in the stranger on just any ordinary day.

Do we need to fix the leaky lips of gossip? We often disguise our gossip as prayer concerns or communal empathy. God knows the need without names and without juicy details for which we are such gluttons.

Do we need to straighten lamp shades and picture frames so that our house appears to be balanced? Do we need to clean out and clear out those spaces that are not even seen by our visitors except for the one who peeks into the recesses of our hearts? We need to take an inventory of our relationship with friends and family. Which ones need to be straightened and which ones need to be cleared out? And what about those sins we keep in the dark so no one else will know?

Do we need to fix the broken hinge of our heart so that we can love once again? We find it easier to build up a wall or put an out-of-order sign on the door so no one will enter. We must allow the healing of our brokenness so that we may be whole and be able to love from the bottom of who we are: a child of God.

When John shouts repent, he is warning us to stop what we are doing, look around and take inventory of our house, make even the minor repairs, and move on with no intent of going back but finding a new straight and better way to love one another.

Advent 3, Year C

Luke 3:7–18

What Should We Do?

I grew up with an older sister, so I received a lot of hand-me-downs of various kinds. I was used to sharing, but one incident of sharing still stands out in my mind because I was not treated fairly. There were two of us and only one candy bar. Mother had told my older sister to split it with me. Well, she broke the candy bar in two, but it didn’t break evenly. She then took the longest end, bit off enough to make it the same size as the other piece, and gave it to me. It is one thing to share, but another to share justly.

John the Baptist proclaimed to those he baptized to produce fruit that showed a change of hearts through changed lives. To repent meant to stop doing what you were doing and to turn—go in the opposite direction and produce fruit from an altered and an altared life. John was speaking of a transformed life with Abraham as an example. Abraham was faithful to God. When all seemed lost, and to remain obedient meant he would have to break his own heart, God provided. Abraham was faithful, and God was faithful.

If they were to do something different, the crowds, tax collectors, and soldiers all wanted to know just what was required of them. John was aware of what each sect valued. He also knew that to be faithful and fruitful required careful self-examination and recommitment.

To the crowds, he advised them to share their clothing and food with those who had none. He told the tax collectors to be honest and collect no more than what was due. In other words, do not charge more and pocket the extra. Even the soldiers were told not to collect money from false accusations but to be satisfied with their wages.

These groups of people valued things, money, and power. John was saying this could be no more. A change of heart required a change of actions, and they should return to a life focused on the love of God and the care of neighbor. This life-altering concept would require acts of piety and mercy and justice.

So what does the Lord require of us? To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.³ We still ask today, What should we do? We are to share, keep no more than we need, be fair, treat others with care, and be honest and walk humbly with our God.

During this Advent season, as we make preparations, may we look inward to examine ourselves so that our focus is outward in our display of love for others as we bear fruit.

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³ Micah 6:8

Advent 4, Year C

Luke 1:39–55

Carrying the Future

Gabriel visited Zechariah to tell him his barren wife, Elizabeth, would bear him a son, and the child would be called John.⁴ Gabriel also visited Mary to tell her she would be with child through the power of the Holy Spirit, and she would name her son Jesus.⁵

Both were miracles in their own right. Mary ran to Elizabeth to tell her about her encounter with Gabriel. Elizabeth was probably not her closest relative, according to proximity since Elizabeth lived in the hill country, but maybe her closest in relationship. Or could it be Mary needed to talk to someone who had also experienced a miracle.

Gabriel had told Mary about Elizabeth, and she was the first person to whom Mary went. Maybe Mary was seeking confirmation for what she was told by Gabriel—that she had to see with her own eyes. After all, Elizabeth had been in seclusion for over five months, so probably the word had not spread.⁶

Whatever the reason, Elizabeth had a piece of the puzzle and Mary had another one. They met together in communion and community to share with one another. This is one of the many reasons we as the body of Christ, the church, should meet in community. Someone has a piece of the puzzle and someone else has a