Foreword
Questions, questions, questions.
One of the characteristics of the Gospels is the many questions they contain. Questions asked by Jesus: “Who do you say that I am?” “Which one was neighbor to the man who was robbed?” “Do you believe this?”
Questions asked of Jesus: “By whose authority do you do these things?” “What must I do to be saved?” “Are you a king?” “What is truth?”
We hear one of those questions in a gospel passage Meredith cites in a faith-sharing experience: John the Baptist asking Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
This question came from the same man who had pointed out Jesus as “the lamb of God.” But John was impatient.
In a way, the centuries of frustration suffered by the Jewish people were summed up in John. The Jewish people had been harassed, oppressed, enslaved, and displaced by one aggressor after another, and at this moment they were under the heel of the pagan Roman empire.
John himself was in prison because of his criticism of a corrupt local king. Like a lot of his contemporaries, he was looking for someone to put an end to this agony, to solve all of Israel’s problems, to sweep away all of Israel’s enemies and usher in an era of peace and freedom and prosperity.
But Jesus didn’t come to undo, on his own, all the injustice and cure all the ills of society. Jesus came to call others — to call us — to bring new life to all those places in which the world is in some way dead or dying.
And so, Meredith raises another question, this one for us: “What are we waiting for?” The question refers to Advent, a season of waiting. We wait, of course, for our celebration of the birth
of Jesus, and perhaps our waiting is often distracted by shopping, baking, decorating, and travel planning that have nothing to do with his birth. But by inviting us to spend some of that waiting time in a small group, sharing our faith, contemplating Scripture, and considering how our faith shapes our lives, Meredith helps us make our wait worthwhile.
Advent leads to the climactic feast of Christmas, but Meredith reminds us that Christmas is not an end but, rather, a beginning. She calls the second part of this experience “Now that he’s here….” and that implies yet another question: Now what? Now that our waiting is over, and we have met the Savior again, how will we live what we believe, on December 26 and beyond?
Although two thousand years have passed and the world doesn’t seem much more fair or benevolent than it was in the first century, the whole point of the birth of Jesus which we are about to celebrate is that God made human beings with a free will and a spirit that are capable of imitating him in his creative and compassionate love.
Jesus appeared on earth to show us that. He was like us. We can be like him. And that, really, is the only answer to the troubles of the world.
The only answer.
There is a passage in John’s Gospel in which many of Jesus’ disciples walk away from him because they find his teaching too challenging. Jesus asks the apostles—wait for it— a question: “Would you leave me, too?” And Peter answers with still another question, one that is as valid now as it was then: “Lord, to whom would we go?”
Deacon Charles Paolino Managing Editor RENEW International
Week 1: STAY AWAKE
Opening Prayer
God of Light and Longing,
As we enter this sacred season of Advent, stir in us a holy attentiveness.
Awaken our hearts from distraction.
Help us to recognize your presence breaking into our lives, even now.
Teach us to wait, not with fear or anxiety but with trust and hope.
May this time together draw us nearer to you and to one another.
Amen.
Old Testament Reading (Isaiah 2:1–5)
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Please mention a word or phrase that stands out for you.
Gospel (Matthew 24:37–44)
Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Reflection
Advent begins not with soft lullabies or gentle lights but rather with urgency. Jesus says, “Stay awake.” Isaiah dreams of a future when weapons become tools of life, not death. Both passages invite us into a different kind of waiting—not passive but active.
We’re not waiting for time to pass. We’re waiting for the world to change—and for ourselves to be ready to help change it.
Isaiah’s vision is bold: a world where people stream toward God’s light and choose peace over war. But peace doesn’t just happen. It’s built. It’s practiced. It’s prepared for.
And that’s where Jesus meets us—in the middle of ordinary life, asking us to stay awake. Not because we should fear his coming but rather because we should live as if it’s already happening. The Kingdom is near. Now.
So, what are we waiting for?
Faith-Sharing Questions
1. Isaiah imagines a world where people “beat their swords into plowshares.” What is one “sword” (habit, mindset, reaction) you feel called to transform this Advent?
2. Jesus tells us to “stay awake.” What most often puts you spiritually to sleep—numbs your awareness or dulls your hope?
3. Both readings invite us to live differently, now. Where do you most long to see peace break through—in the world, your community, or your own life?
Invitation to Action
Choose one way this week to “stay awake” to peace.
It might be reading or hearing the news with a prayerful heart, checking in on someone you’ve been avoiding, practicing silence for five minutes a day, or saying no to something that steals your peace.
Before next Sunday, reflect: Did I help build peace?
For Families
Faith-Sharing Questions
1. Where do we see moments of “sleepiness” in our family life — times when we overlook each other or take each other for granted?
2. How can we help one another “stay awake” to kindness, gratitude, and peace this week?
Invitation to Action
Choose one daily family practice to help you stay awake together — lighting a candle at dinner and sharing one moment of gratitude, checking in with each other before bed, or taking a moment of silence together each morning.
Closing Prayer
(together)
Lord of the dawning day, Help us to live as people of the light. Awaken us to your presence in our lives— in the quiet, the chaos, the waiting, and the work. Shape us into people who prepare the way for your peace. May we walk in your light, together. Amen.
If you have witnessed the Gospel come alive in word or in deed in your RENEW small Christian community, please share the good news with us at RENEW, goodnews@renewintl.org.