iYaya ni Sokalou
Na iTuvatuva ni Sokalou 1
ikuri ni tikinivolatabu .
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19; Isaiah 64:1–9; 1 Corinthians 1:3–9
Vanua ni Sokalou
Me baleta na rarama ni cina ni Advent kei na vakasama, bulia e dua na ituvatuva ni lima na cina. Oqo e rawa ni tiko ena dua na isala, veiwaki vata kei na veikau drokadroka, se so tale na iukuuku me vaka na vanua e vakatara. Na roka makawa me baleta na cina e tolu na roka damudamu, dua na roka damudamu (Reki), kei na dua na vulavula (Karisito); se digitaka na nomu roka. Ena vei Sigatabu yadua era dau vakawaqaci na cina sa oti ni bera ni tekivu na lotu, ka dua tale na cina e dau vakawaqaci ena gauna e vakawaqaci kina na cina ni Advent. E dau vakawaqaci na cina ni Karisito ena Siga ni Siganisucu. Me baleta e dua na veiqaravi ni hybrid, vakayaloqaqataki ira era sarasara tiko mai vale me ra bulia na nodra ituvatuva ni Advent.
iVakamacala
Kidavaki
Kacivi ni Sokalou .
“Psalm for Today”
God of our beginnings—
You are like a seed that breaks open to earth,
a plant that leans toward sunlight,
a tree that draws from earth and sky—
You grow in us.
God of our future—
You are like an unborn child with unrealized promise,
an unsung melody yet unheard,
an unknown world to be discovered.
You wait beyond us.
God of this moment—
Be our beginning—our new life.
Be our present moment,
our future,
our promised hope.
—Barbara Howard in Prayers and Readings for Worship, Vol. 2, Peter Judd, ed.,
(Herald Publishing House, 1996, ISBN 9780830907199), 13.
Sere ni Dolavi
“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” CCS 400
OR “All Earth Is Hopeful /Toda la tierra” CCS 392/393
Vakayaloqaqataki ira na vakaitavi me ra lagasere ena dua tale na vosa ka sega ni nodra vosa.
Masu ni Veisureti .
Isau
Reading of Confession
Leader: Hear our pleas, O Shepherd of Israel.
People: Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we might be saved.
Leader: You have fed your people and given them life.
People: Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we might be saved.
—Psalm 80:1, 3, 5, adapted
Masu ni Sautu .
Vakama na cina ni vakacegu .
Masu
O God of peace and reconciliation, open our hearts and minds to your presence. May we embrace your peace that you so freely share with us. Impress on our hearts the necessity of striving for peace and justice throughout the world. Amen.
Rarama ni cina ni Advent kei na gauna ni vakasama
Hope
iVakamacala ni Peresitedi: Me vakatau ena nomu itukutuku, o rawa ni digitaka mo solia yani e dua na kadi ni index kei na peni vei ira na tamata me ra vola na nodra isaunitaro ka qai wasea vakadomoilevu mai na nodra kadi SE o rawa ni kerei ira na tamata me ra wasea ena gauna dina ka sega ni vola e dua na ka.
We proclaim Jesus Christ, and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace. This Advent, we reflect on the kinds of conditions that exist when our communities become places where HOPE is a signal of God’s new creation dawning. Imagine hope as a tangible practice where you live:
When God’s hope is dawning,
Au vakila...
Au boi vinaka...
Au tovolea...
Au tara...
Au rogoca...
We light the advent candle of HOPE and pray to tend the signals of God’s hope dawning among us. May the flickering flame spark courage to notice, nurture, and name the new creation around and within us.
Rarama ni cina.
Emeni.
Nodra Sauma Vakayalololoma na Tisaipeli
Scripture Reading: Doctrine and Covenants 162:7a, c
Itukutuku
There are many in the world, some as close as our neighborhoods, who live without hope. Some see no way out of their life’s circumstances; they live in despair and desperation. As disciples, we are called to share generously so others may live with hope.
Vakalougatataki kei na Ciqomi ni iKatini ni Kaulotu ena Vanua kei na Veikaulotu e Vuravura Raraba .
Scripture Reading: Mark 13:24-37
Tabacakacaka ni Sere se Sere ni Vanua .
“God Almighty, We Are Waiting” CCS 397
OR “View the Present through the Promise” CCS 401
Preaching the Word
Based on Mark 13:24–37
Sere ni Veisoliyaki
“Hope of the World” CCS 29
OR “We Would See Jesus” CCS 35
Masu ni Veisoliyaki
Isau
Ni oti na sere
Na iTuvatuva ni Sokalou 2
ikuri ni tikinivolatabu .
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19; Isaiah 64:1–9; 1 Corinthians 1:3–9
iVakamacala
Kidavaki kei na Veisureti ki na Sokalou .
O that you would come to us and make your name known so that the nations might tremble at your presence! Never have such awesome deeds been worked as when you have shown your power. Next to you, we are nothing; yet, despite everything we might do that is not aligned with your will, you love us. You are our God; you are the potter and we are the clay—the work of your hand. We are your people.
—Isaiah 64:1–9, adapted
SE
And he told us of a prophet, who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord; who would go forth and cry in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight.
—1 Nephi 3:7–8, adapted
Hymn of Expectation
“O Lako Mai, O Lako Mai, Emanueli” VV 394
OR “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” CCS 400
Veimasulaki
Isau
Scripture Reading: Mark 13:24–37
Masu ni Sautu .
Vakama na cina ni vakacegu .
Masu
O God, we find many times that peace is so elusive. We seek peace, yet we find it is often just beyond our grasp. Help us find ways to engage in activities and ministries that bring peace to our families, our communities, and our world. May we always be found seeking peace and clasping the hands of others who also search. Together, help us make a difference, bringing hope and peace to our world. Amen.
Ministry of Music or Community Hymn of Peace
“Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” CCS 605
OR “We Are People of God’s Peace” CCS 306
Rarama ni cina ni Advent kei na gauna ni vakasama
Hope
iVakamacala ni Peresitedi: Me vakatau ena nomu itukutuku, o rawa ni digitaka mo solia yani e dua na kadi ni index kei na peni vei ira na tamata me ra vola na nodra isaunitaro ka qai wasea vakadomoilevu mai na nodra kadi SE o rawa ni kerei ira na tamata me ra wasea ena gauna dina ka sega ni vola e dua na ka.
We proclaim Jesus Christ, and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace. This Advent, we reflect on the kinds of conditions that exist when our communities become places where HOPE is a signal of God’s new creation dawning. Imagine hope as a tangible practice where you live:
When God’s hope is dawning,
Au vakila...
Au boi vinaka...
Au tovolea...
Au tara...
Au rogoca...
We light the advent candle of HOPE and pray to tend the signals of God’s hope dawning among us. May the flickering flame spark courage to notice, nurture, and name the new creation around and within us.
Rarama ni cina.
Emeni.
Vunau
Based on Mark 131:24-37
Nodra Sauma Vakayalololoma na Tisaipeli
Wilika na ivolanikalou: Vunau kei na Veiyalayalati 163:9.
Itukutuku
If we, as Community of Christ, truly came home to God’s grace and generosity we would be transformed, becoming a new creation through Jesus Chrst…. If we spiritually dwell in God’s grace and generosity, then Christ-like grace and generosity will flow in and through our lives, families, church families, and the worldwide church. Because Christ is the embodiment of God’s grace and generosity, we would be Christ’s living body on Earth, which is the fundamental purpose of the church…. Also, according to scripture, peace follows grace and generosity. Therefore, peace, or God’s shalom, would increase….
—Steve Veazey, “Generosity and Sharing,” Part 1, January 2015 Herald
Vakalougatataki kei na Ciqomi ni iKatini ni Kaulotu ena Vanua kei na Veikaulotu e Vuravura Raraba .
Sere ni Vakanuinui
“We Wait in Hope for the Lord” CCS 267
SE “Inuinui ni Vuravura” VV 29 .
Vakauta yani na Wilika ni Veisaumi
Leader: God, your people wait. We anticipate the coming of Jesus.
People: Come and save us!
Leader: For whom do we wait? A king? A ruler? One who will overthrow the powers that seek to oppress?
People: Come and save us! Restore us, O God.
Leader: We yearn for your presence in our lives; forgive us for those times when we have turned away from you.
People: Restore us, O God.
—Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19, adapted
Sauma na Lagasere
“Bless the Lord” sing twice CCS 575
OR “We Wait in Hope for the Lord” repeat stanza 1 CCS 267
Ni oti na sere
Na iTuvatuva ni Sokalou 3
ikuri ni tikinivolatabu .
Psalms 80:1-7, 17-19; Isaiah 64:1-9; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Vanua ni Sokalou ni Advent
For the Advent candle lighting and focus, create an arrangement of five candles. This can be in a wreath, mixed with greenery, or other decorations as space allows. Traditional colors for the candles are three purple, one pink (Joy), and one white (Christ); or choose your own colors. Each Sunday the previous candles are lit before the service starts, and one additional candle is lit during the lighting of the Advent Candle. The Christ candle is lit on Christmas Day. For a hybrid service, encourage those watching from home to create their own Advent setting.
iVakamacala
Na sere ni gauna
“God Almighty, We Are Waiting” CCS 397
“Agilosi, mai na Vanua ni Lagilagi” CCS 436
Call to Worship: 1 Corinthians 1:3-7
Let us worship in hope as we begin waiting for the gift of Jesus Christ.
Veimasulaki
Worshipping Community’s Sung Response
“Wait for the Lord” sing twice CCS 399
Vakayaloqaqataki ira na vakaitavi mera lagasere ena vosa tale eso ka sega ni nodra vosa.
Na vakadewa ki na vosa vaka-Sipeni kei na vosa vaka-Varanise ni sere oqo e rawa ni kunei ena initaneti .
Spiritual Practice: Breath Prayer
Today we will practice a breath prayer. I will guide you through every step, pausing to let you develop your prayer.
Place your feet flat on the floor. If helpful, close your eyes.
As you inhale, pay attention to your stomach, maybe placing a hand there to notice the movement as you inhale (pause, allowing time for an inhale) and as you exhale.
Cegu.
Take a few more deep, cleansing breaths.
Cegu.
Now, as you inhale, think, or say, “hope” and remain silent on the exhale.
Devote 1-2 minutes for this.
As you are ready, switch and be silent on your inhale, saying, “hope” on the exhale. Devote 1-2 minutes for this.
When you are ready, say Amen. Take another breath and return your breathing to normal. Open your eyes when you are ready.
Veiwasei
In pairs, small groups, or the whole group, reflect and share whether you experienced any differences between using the word, “hope” with the inhale or the exhale.
Allow a few minutes for debriefing and then move directly into the Prayer for Peace.
Masu ni Sautu .
Vakama na cina ni vakacegu .
Masu
Lord, hear our prayers for people and countries in need. For people leaving everything behind to flee to safety, for those who have lost loved ones, for lives interrupted, for education stalled, and for families separated. Lord, bless your people with peace.
We thank you for the friendliness of neighbors,
the kindness of strangers, for those who give of themselves to help others, for those who reject the urge to be silent in the face of injustice. Lord, bless your people with peace.
Lord, give the people of the world hope, for peace and justice to carry the day, for there to be new beginnings for all people, for freedom to replace fear, and for there to be a better tomorrow. Lord, bless your people with peace. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Mark 13:24-37
Sere ni Nuinui .
“Hope of the World” CCS 29
OR “He Came Singing Love” CCS 226
OR “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” CCS 400
Scripture Exploration
Based on Mark 13:24-37
Advent Focus Moment and Candle Lighting
Hope
iVakamacala ni Peresitedi: Me vakatau ena nomu itukutuku, o rawa ni digitaka mo solia yani e dua na kadi ni index kei na peni vei ira na tamata me ra vola na nodra isaunitaro ka qai wasea vakadomoilevu mai na nodra kadi SE o rawa ni kerei ira na tamata me ra wasea ena gauna dina ka sega ni vola e dua na ka.
We proclaim Jesus Christ, and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace. This Advent, we reflect on the kinds of conditions that exist when our communities become places where HOPE is a signal of God’s new creation dawning. Imagine hope as a tangible practice where you live:
When God’s hope is dawning,
Au vakila...
Au boi vinaka...
Au tovolea...
Au tara...
Au rogoca...
We light the advent candle of HOPE and pray to tend the signals of God’s hope dawning among us. May the flickering flame spark courage to notice, nurture, and name the new creation around and within us.
Rarama ni cina.
Emeni.
Sung Affirmation
“No Obvious Angels” CCS 418
OR “like a child” CCS 403
Nodra Sauma Vakayalololoma na Tisaipeli
iVolanikalou: Vunau kei na Veiyalayalati 163:9.
Itukutuku
During Advent, we are reminded of God’s abundant generosity in the gift of Jesus Christ. As we reflect on this freely given gift, may we be reminded that God calls us to bless the world with our own gifts. As we generously share our gifts and monies, we join the movement of God’s compassion bringing hope to the world.
Vakalougatataki kei na Ciqomi ni iKatini ni Kaulotu ena Vanua kei na Veikaulotu e Vuravura Raraba .
Sere ni Lotu
“All Earth Is Hopeful/Toda la tierra” CCS 392/393
Vakayaloqaqataki ira na vakaitavi me ra lagasere ena dua tale na vosa ka sega ni nodra vosa.
OR “View the Present through the Promise” CCS 401
OR “I Wonder as I Wander” CCS 435
Veivakalougatataki
Isau
Ni oti na sere
Vanua Tabu: iTuvatuva ni Sokalou Vakailawalawa Lalai
Kidavaki
Kumuni
Na Advent e dua na gauna ni wawa ena nanamaki ki na lako mai ni rarama ki na dua na vuravura butobuto ena ibulibuli ni gone lailai o Jisu. Na Advent e vakayagataki ena kena namaki kei na vakavakarau vakayalo ki na nona yaco mai na gone-Karisito. Na ivolanikalou, ivakatakarakara, kei na sere ni lotu e vukea me yaco na Advent me dua na gauna ni nanamaki ki na sucu i Karisito, ka sega ni dua na gauna ni vakasauri ni cakacaka ni olodei.
Na gauna ni Advent e tekivu ena va na Sigatabu ni bera na Siganisucu ka dau vakayacori ena vei Sigatabu me yacova na Siga ni Siganisucu. E dua na isala ni Advent ka va na cina kei na dua na cina ni Karisito ena lomadonu e dau vakayagataki me vakananumi kina na macawa ni Advent. E dua na cina e dau vakawaqaci ena veimacawa me yacova ni ra sa waqa kece tu ena Siga ni Siganisucu.
Masu ni Sautu .
Qiria e dua na beleti se chime vakatolu vakamalua.
Vakama na cina ni vakacegu.
O God, we find many times that peace is so elusive. We seek peace, yet we find it often is just beyond our grasp. Help us find ways to engage in activities and ministries that bring peace to our families, our communities, and our world. May we always be found seeking peace and clasping the hands of others who also search. Together, help us make a difference, bringing hope and peace to our world. Amen.
Vakatovotovo Vakayalo .
Holding in the Light—Hope
Place a lit candle in the center of the group.
Vakayagataka e vica na gauna mo vakanomodi kina mo vakanomodi e loma kei na tautuba.
- Ask each person to share about a person or circumstance in need of hope (write down each one).
- Sureti ira na tamata ki na dua na gauna ni masu ka ra biu kina na tamata kei na gagadre vakatabakidua oqo ena nona veiqaravi loloma, veivakabulai na Kalou.
- Wilika vakadomoilevu:
Ni da vakanamata tiko ki na rarama ni cina, raitayaloyalotaka na tamata (o ira) e masulaki me wavoliti koya na rarama ni Kalou.
Au na wilika na yaca yadua, ka da na vakayagataka e dua na gauna ni oti na yaca yadua me da vakaitavi ena masu galu.
Eda nuitaka na Kalou me kila na nodra gagadre na tamata yadua se ituvaki, ka da tauri ira ena yalololoma ena rarama veivakabulabulataki, veivakabulai ni Kalou.
Cabora e dua na masu lekaleka ni vakavinavinaka me sogota na nomu sotava na masu.
Veiwasei ena Teveli
Mark 13:24-37 NRSVue
“But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather the elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
—Mark 13:24-37 NRSVue
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, with an emphasis on hopeful waiting. The Gospel of Mark does not include a birth story, so the lectionary text for this Advent season begins with comments on the end of time. This passage aids our Advent experience because it refers to the imminent coming of the Lord.
As we prepare for Christ coming into the world we are counseled to repent and wait expectantly with hopefulness, because God is a faithful God and seeks to establish the peaceable kingdom on Earth.
The future of the creation belongs to the Prince of Peace…. As we anticipate that future, we devote ourselves to seek Christ’s peace and pursue it. We do not know the day or hour of Christ’s coming but know only that God is faithful. (Sharing in Community of Christ, 3rd ed., p. 16)
The writer of Mark uses cosmic images and phrases from the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament to describe the coming of the Son of God into the world. This language commonly was used to signal important events. As hearers of these words, we know something significant is coming.
We are urged to be prepared and alert as we wait for the coming Lord. Waiting can be viewed as passive, as in waiting for a train after work to take us home. But we are told to practice a different kind of waiting—waiting expectantly, as in waiting for a train that is bringing a loved one home to us.
Here at the beginning of Advent we await the coming light of Christ. We do not know the day when God’s reign will be realized, but we live in hopeful expectation.
Taro
- Workers sometimes joke, “Look busy; the boss is coming!” What is the difference between being busy and being prepared?
- At this time in your faith journey, are you waiting passively or expectantly for the coming of the Messiah?
- What gives you hope this Advent season?
Vakauta
iTukutuku ni Lomasoli
“Na veiwasei me baleta na vinaka raraba sai koya na yalo kei Saioni” ( Vunau kei na Veiyalayalati 165:2f ).
Eda ciqoma na loloma soli wale ni Kalou kei na nona lomasoli. Na basikete ni isolisoli e tiko kevaka o vinakata mo tokona na veiqaravi ni ilawalawa lalai e tomani tiko me tiki ni nomu isaunitaro lomasoli.
Na masu ni isolisoli me baleta na Advent e vakadewataki mai na Nona Sauma na Tisaipeli na Lolomasoli:
Veivakaduavatataki kei na Kalou, Mo tiko vata kei keimami ni keimami tuvanaka na neimami vakayagataki ilavo. Me da vakayagataka na noda ivurevure ena sala e tara cake kina na veimaliwai bulabula, marautaki kei kemuni, kei ira na tani, kei na Vuravura. Me da nanuma tiko na ivakavuvuli i Jisu ka bolei keda me da digitaka na ivakarau ni bula e veisaqasaqa kei na noda itovo vakavanua ni kumuni ka vakasivia. Emeni.
Veisureti ena Soqoni Tarava
Sere ni Veisoliyaki
CCS 394, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Masu ni Veisoliyaki
Na ikuri ni digidigi e vakatau ena ilawalawa
Sakaramede ni Vakayakavi ni Turaga .
Digitaka e dua na ivolanikalou mo wilika mai na digidigi oqo: 1 Korinica 11:23–26 ; Maciu 26:17–30 ; Marika 14:12–26 ; Luke 22:7–39 .
Veisureti ki na Komunio .
Era kidavaki kece ena teveli i Karisito. Na Vakayakavi ni Turaga, se Komunio, sa dua na sakaramede eda vakananuma kina na bula, mate, tucaketale, kei na nona tiko tikoga o Jisu Karisito. Ena Community i Karisito, eda sotava talega na Communion me dua na madigi me da vakavoutaka kina na noda veiyalayalati ni papitaiso ka me da buli me da tisaipeli ka bulataka na ilesilesi i Karisito. Eso tale e rawa ni duidui se vakaikuritaki na nodra kila ena loma ni nodra itovo vakavanua ni vakabauta. Eda sureti ira kece na vakaitavi ena Vakayakavi ni Turaga me ra vakayacora ena loloma kei na vakacegu i Jisu Karisito.
In preparation let’s sing Community of Christ Sings 523, “As We Gather at Your Table.”
Veivakalougatataki kei na veiqaravi ni madrai kei na waini.
Vakasama vei ira na Gone .
O na gadreva:
- Papa ni posita levu kei na dua na vunikau ni Siganisucu
- Small stars cut from construction paper
- Na iyaya ni volavola
- Tepi se glu
Say: Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is a time of waiting and preparing. Just like people awaited Jesus’s birth, the coming of the Messiah, we await God’s preferred future. Waiting, however, doesn’t mean we don’t do anything. In fact, while we wait, it is important to prepare for what is to come and help bring it into the world.
Ena veimacawa ni Advent, eda na vakatovotovotaka tiko na wawa. Eda na dabe vata, ka vakaceguya na noda vakasama kei na yagoda ni da waraka tiko. Ni da waraka tiko, eda na vakavakarau talega ena noda vakanamata ki na dua ga na vosa ka raica na vanua e kauta kina na vosa oqori na noda vakasama kei na veika eda vakila. Ni sa tekivu na noda gauna ni wawa, eda na vakayagataka na noda cegu me vukea na noda vakanamata ki na vosa. Ni da cegu, eda na cavuta na vosa ena uluda. Ni da cegu, eda na kaya “vakarautaki au” ena uluda. O na cakava tikoga oqo me yacova ni sa oti na noda gauna ni wawa, ka laiva na nomu vakasama kei na veika o vakila me vukei iko mo kila vakavinaka cake na vosa.
Our word for today is hope.
Invite participants into a time of waiting. For this first time, try for two minutes If participants become too restless, close the time sooner. After the time of waiting is done, give all participants a paper star and something to write with. Invite them to write or draw what their time of waiting was like on the star. After they have had time to write or draw, invite them to attach their star to the posterboard tree, using tape or glue.
Veivuke ni Vunau
Vakasaqara na iVolanikalou .
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, with an emphasis on hopeful waiting. The Gospel of Mark does not include a birth story and it might seem curious that we are starting Advent at a point in the story just before the Passion of Christ. However, the comments on the end of time are suitable for our Advent preparation because they deal with the coming of the Lord. Christ came and Christ comes again: 2,000 years ago, today, and tomorrow!
Some refer to these verses in the 13th chapter of Mark as “the little Apocalypse” with likeness to the apocalyptic writing of John. In both accounts, God is coming into the world and the cosmos will be affected. We are counseled to repent, and wait expectantly with hopefulness because God is a faithful God and seeks to set up the peaceable kingdom on Earth. “The future of the creation belongs to the Prince of Peace…. As we anticipate that future, we devote ourselves to seek Christ’s peace and pursue it. We do not know the day or hour of Christ’s coming but know only that God is faithful” (Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition., 38).
Verses 24–27 of this reading describe the “signs of the times” using images and language from the Hebrew Scriptures (Isaiah 13:10, 34:4; Joel 2:10, 3:4, 15; Ezekiel 32:7–8; Daniel 7:13). It was common to use cosmic images to signal important events. The writer combines the end time judgment references from Isaiah, Joel, and Ezekiel with the coming of the Son of Man as described in Daniel. As hearers of these words, e undoubtedly know there is something significant coming.
Verses 28–31 contain a short parable of the fig tree with an image of tender, new life that is the forerunner of summer. We can have hope the Son of Man is near; God is faithful.
Verses 32–37 can be summarized as a wakeup call. We are urged to be prepared and alert, thinking beyond the present because “about that day or hour no one knows” (v. 32). When will the Messiah come? The writer of the Gospel of Mark advises us to keep awake for we do not know when the master will come.
Waiting can be viewed as passive, as in waiting for a train after work to take us home. But we are told to practice a different waiting—waiting expectantly, as in waiting for a train that is bringing a loved one home to us. We wait and watch for the Lord to arrive with expectation and a sense that we cannot predict when it will happen. We join with those who lived before the birth of Jesus who were faithfully expecting the Messiah’s arrival.
By focusing at the beginning of Advent on the return of the Son of Man, we actively wait in solidarity with those who have gone before and hear, with them, the challenge to keep awake and watch for the Lord. While we may think we know how the story ends, this text causes us to realize the paradox of living between “already” (Christ has come) and “not yet” (God’s reign on Earth is not complete). We do not know the day when God’s reign will be realized. We need to be reminded that Christ comes. We need to be ready.
Vakasama bibi
- God is faithful. We wait in confidence and with hope that God’s reign will come.
- Advent is a season of waiting—something important is about to happen.
- Expectantly waiting involves living as if Christ’s return is imminent.
Taro me baleta na Daunivosa .
- What testimony do you have of God’s faithfulness?
- How can you and your congregation use this Advent season as a time of self-examination? Are you prepared?
- Workers sometimes joke, “Look busy, the boss is coming!” Do you see any likenesses between this and today’s text?
- How are we like the servants (vv. 32–37), entrusted with work while the master is away?
- What can you do as a congregation to shift from passive waiting to expectantly waiting for the coming of the Messiah?
- What gives you hope for God’s reign to be realized on Earth?
Lesoni
Lesoni ni Qase
Vakabibitaka na Tikina ni Vola Tabu
Marika 13:24–37 .
Vakabibitaki ni Lesoni
Keep awake!
Na inaki
Era na...
- understand the relationship between waiting for the second coming of Christ and waiting for the coming of the Messiah.
- understand what it is we are hoping for as we wait for the second coming of Christ.
- relate the active waiting called for by this reading to the hope found in this Advent season.
Iyaya
- Bible (NRSV)
- Pens, pencils, paper
Note vei Qasenivuli .
In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Mark 13:24–37 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: New Testament, pp. 18–19, available through Herald House.
Soqoni vata
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Advent of Hope. What is hope?
Share with the group or the person next to you what hope means to you.
Veidinadinati
We begin the season of Advent celebrating hope. Advent is about the coming of a person or event in the lives of the people. The Advent season encourages us to prepare for Christmas, to take hope in the coming of Jesus into the world.
However, we find ourselves confronted by a different kind of coming in this scripture passage near the end of Mark. The setting is just before Jesus is crucified, and Jesus shares the promise he will come again. This passage in Mark comes right after Jesus’ prediction of coming persecutions for his followers.
- How might this passage about Jesus’ return give his disciples hope?
The Advent season is a celebration of the coming of Christ in the form of a baby. At the time of his first coming, people were waiting with longing for the coming of a Messiah to set them free. But their idea of freedom took a very specific form. They were hoping for a king like David taking up arms and marching against the Roman Empire. These expectations prevented them from seeing Jesus as their Messiah.
In today’s scripture passage, we have a new prophecy of Christ’s return. Just like the Jews of Jesus’ time, we read our own times into it. We fail to understand the universal nature of the events Jesus lists. We see these events reflected in our own world. We ignore the “no one knows…but only the Father” in Mark 13:32, confident that we know. We ignore the warnings to watch, to stay awake.
- In what ways do these warning signs of Christ’s coming seem to apply to our world today?
- How do you understand Mark 13:32?
- This waiting involves action. We are not passive waiters. We are to watch and prepare; we are not to be caught sleeping. What do you think you are supposed to be doing as you wait for Jesus’ coming?
Sauma
The Community of Christ story offers many suggestions how to actively wait for Christ. Doctrine and Covenants 165:1a–f describes how active waiting works in daily life, connecting these actions to the Enduring Principles and Mission Initiatives of the church (highlighted in italics below):
1 a. Community of Christ, a divine vision is set before you. Presented over the years through various inspired phrases and symbols, it is expressed now through initiatives in harmony with Jesus Christ’s mission.
b. As a spiritual venture, boldly follow the initiatives into the heart of God’s vision for the church and creation. Then, in response to growing insight about God’s nature and will, continue to shape communities that live Christ’s love and mission.
c. Lovingly invite others to experience the good news of new life in community with Christ. Opportunities abound in your daily lives if you choose to see them.
d. Undertake compassionate and just actions to abolish poverty and end needless suffering. Pursue peace on and for the Earth.
e. Let nothing separate you from this mission. It reveals divine intent for personal, societal, and environmental salvation; a fullness of gospel witness for creation’s restoration.
f. Continue to align your priorities with local and worldwide church efforts to move the initiatives forward. Additional innovative approaches to coordinating congregational life and supporting groups of disciples and seekers are needed to address mission opportunities in a changing world.
Our Enduring Principles are intertwined in the waiting: we enter the Kingdom of God together. Our mission on Earth until then is to be active participants in bringing it about. We are responsible for our brothers and sisters. We are concerned for the people and environment God left in our care. We wait actively, caring for the part of creation we are gifted and called to serve. In this way, we have hope in Christ and share that hope with others.
This echoes the Community of Christ Basic Belief on salvation:
As we yield our lives to Christ in baptism we enter Christian community (the body of Christ) and have the promise of salvation. We experience salvation through Jesus Christ, but affirm that God’s grace has no bounds, and God’s love is greater than we can know.
—Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, pp. 34–35
One Enduring Principle of the church is Blessings of Community. “We are called to create communities of Christ’s peace in our families and congregations and across villages, tribes, nations, and throughout creation” (Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, p. 32).
How do the Mission Initiatives, Basic Beliefs, and Enduring Principles of the church give you hope? Share your hope with the class in a word, a phrase, or a sentence.
Vakauta
Sit quietly a minute, thinking about ways you can actively wait for the coming of Christ. After a moment, share with the group a word, a phrase, or a sentence illustrating ways you can actively wait.
Kalougata
Gather into a circle, holding hands if comfortable doing so. The leader will begin a prayer of hope. Then each person, in turn, will share a one-statement addition to the prayer. If the person wishes to make their statement silently, they may do so, and then gently squeeze the next person’s hand to signal they are finished. When the prayer returns to the leader, they will finish the prayer.
Lesoni ni iTabagone
Vakabibitaka na Tikina ni Vola Tabu
Marika 13:24–37 .
Vakabibitaki ni Lesoni
I am so excited! Guess who is coming!
Na inaki
Era na...
- identify the hope of Jesus from the scripture passage.
- find meaning in the Basic Beliefs of Community of Christ.
- expand their roles as disciples.
Iyaya
- Alphabet chart (end of lesson)
- Response cards—one set per student (end of lesson)
- iVolatabu .
- Pen or pencils
Note vei Qasenivuli .
In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Mark 13:24–37 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Mark), pp. 18–19, available through Herald House.
Soqoni vata
Prior to class, make a copy of the alphabet chart at the end of the lesson.
Ask students to remember, but not share, a time when they were excited that someone was coming to visit them (for example, Santa, relatives, or friends to their birthday party). Next ask them to think of words to describe how they were feeling at that moment. Now have the students share their “feeling words” to fill out a class alphabet chart, one word that starts with each letter of the alphabet. For difficult letters, like “X,” write a word that contains the letter (exuberant, excited). Keep the chart for later in the lesson.
Options:
- For large classes, work in groups of three or four and have each group do all the letters. Keep each group’s answers separate for later in the lesson—do not try to combine.
- To complete in pairs, cut up the chart and assign a part of the alphabet to each pair. Then put the list together.
Veidinadinati
Share: Today is the start of the liturgical year where we, with many other Christians, begin with Advent to learn of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. We continue through the calendar until the next Advent, when we start again.
Without any preface or preparation, jump right into the scripture—Mark 13:24–3—and read it aloud. Students may be confused and surprised and wondering when they don’t hear the Nativity story but rather an end-of-times scripture.
- How do you feel about this scripture passage? Explain your thoughts. Let students process their disappointment and confusion.
Let’s reread the passage. (It is helpful if they all have the words or a Bible in front of them.) But before we start, listen for places in the scripture passage that convey hope. Reread the passage.
- What parts of the scripture passage share hope for you? Write these down to add to the alphabet chart later. You may not have any responses and that is OK. Here are some helps for basic understanding of the scripture passage.
- Verses 24–27 describe the “signs of the times” using images and language from the Hebrew Scriptures (Isaiah 13:10, 34:4; Joel 2:10, 3:4, 15; Ezekiel 32:7–8; Daniel 7:13).
- Verses 28–31 contain a short parable of the fig tree with an image of tender, new life that is the forerunner of summer.
- Verses 32–37 can be summarized as a wakeup call.
Help the students discover hope in the text.
- The fig tree image—Jesus is the fig tree, and we have hope of his coming.
- v. 31—God’s words will not ever pass away.
- v. 33—Keep alert—the time will come.
- v. 34—Be on the watch.
- vv. 35, 37—Keep awake.
Say: It is easy to become complacent (passive or routine) in your discipleship because the text says we don’t know when he will come. But the reference to the master of the house coming should be viewed from the point of view of our alphabet chart completed at the start of class. We should be Excited that Jesus is coming, even if we don’t know when!
Add the parts of the text the students relate to hope to the bottom of the alphabet chart.
Sauma
With the class, define Advent—what it means to them. Advent is a time when we anticipate the coming of Jesus as a fulfillment of God’s promise.
Say: At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, there is a Hebrew reference to what we in Community of Christ refer to as End Time. We have a Basic Belief about the End Time.
Gauna ni Vakaoti
Eda toso vata ki liu ena veiqaravi vua na Kalou, ni da kila ni sega ni ka wale na noda cakacaka. Na veisiga ni mataka ni veibuli e nona na Turaga ni Sautu, sega ni o ira era dau veivakasaurarataki, lewa, se veivakarusai. Ni da namaka tiko na veisiga ni mataka oqori, eda sa soli keda meda vakasaqara na vakacegu i Karisito ka vakasaqara. Eda sega ni kila na siga se na aua ena lako mai kina na Karisito ia eda kila ga ni sa yalodina na Kalou. Ena vakabauta na Kalou, Karisito, kei na Yalo Tabu, eda sotava na veisiga ni mataka ena gagadre vakanuinui, kei na masu ka vakavulica vei keda o Jisu me da masulaka: “Me yaco mai na nomuni matanitu, me caka na lomamuni e vuravura me vaka sa caka mai lomalagi.”
— Veiwasei ena iSoqosoqo i Karisito , ika4 ni ilavelave, t. 38
Say: Look back at the alphabet chart and the words you wrote. This is how we should be feeling after reading the passage from Mark—hopeful, longing, and excited at Christ’s coming. We can call it Hopeful Waiting.
- What stories and parables from the Bible help you feel these words about Jesus? Let students respond and share as much as time allows. Then direct them to the response cards.
Students Respond
Lay out the response cards. Let students pick the type of response they want to give. Allow them to fill in the blanks. Then, go around the group and let them read what they wrote. They should use words from the alphabet chart to fill in the first blank.
Vakauta
Verses 35–37 encourage the reader to “keep awake” to stay alert because we do not know when Jesus will come. Consider ways you can be awake and alert to watch for Jesus during this Advent season. You will find Jesus through songs, stories, images, scriptures, and various traditions in the weeks ahead. Keep Awake! and see what you discover.
Kalougata
Offer a prayer for your students for our journey through Advent. Direct them to take their response card home and hang it where they can revisit it over the next week.
Lesoni ni Gone .
Vakabibitaka na Tikina ni Vola Tabu
Marika 13:24–37 .
Vakabibitaki ni Lesoni
Advent is a season of waiting—something important is about to happen.
Na inaki
Era na...
- understand the origin and meaning of the word Advent.
- discover that the Gospel of Mark does not include a birth story.
- discuss how to be prepared for the arrival of Jesus in our lives.
Iyaya
- Sere ni iSoqosoqo ni Karisito ( CCS )
- Board or large sheets of paper
- Strips of paper with one baby item written on each strip (bottle, bib, pacifier, blanket, crib, rocking chair)
- Timer
- (Optional) Baby items (blankets, diapers, bottles, bibs, or burp clothes)
- Sheets of paper for each student
- Pencils, crayons, or markers
iVakamacala vei Qasenivuli .
In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Mark 13:24–37 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Mark), pp. 18–19, available through Herald House.
Soqoni vata
Welcome children to the group and ask if anyone knows what the word Advent means. Tell the students the word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means “arrival” or “to come.” Ask students what is coming in a few weeks. Many will say Christmas; extend the conversation to discuss how people prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
During Advent we consider aspects of Jesus’s coming that relate to joy, hope, love, and peace. Today’s focus is on love. Sing together “Hope Is a Light” CCS 398. This song works well as a call and response. The teacher can sing a line and have the children repeat it.
Veidinadinati
Say: The Gospel of Mark does not include a story about the birth of Jesus. Mark only focuses on the last year of Jesus’s life. It might seem strange that we are starting Advent with a scripture about Christ’s return. The scripture is appropriate for Advent because it deals with the coming of the Lord. Jesus came as a baby and Jesus comes again in our lives: 2,000 years ago, today, and tomorrow! Let’s read to see what Mark had to say about waiting for Jesus to come.
Read Mark 13:26–27, 32–37 (International Children’s Bible).
Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. The Son of Man will send his angels all around the earth. They will gather his chosen people from every part of the earth.
“No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know. Only [God] knows. Be careful! Always be ready! You don’t know when that time will be. It is like a man who goes on a trip. He leaves his house and lets his servants take care of it. He gives each servant a special job to do. One servant has the work of guarding the door. The man tells this servant always to be watchful. This is what I am now telling you. You must always be ready. You don’t know when the owner of the house will come back. He might come in the evening, or at midnight, or in the early morning, or when the sun rises. He might come back quickly. If you are always ready, then he will not find you sleeping. I tell you this, and I say this to everyone: Be ready!”
Ask if anyone has had a new baby come into their lives. Maybe a brother or sister, maybe a new cousin, or a friend of the family. Tell the students that you are going to play a game of baby Pictionary™. Here’s how to play:
- Have one person select a strip of paper with a baby item written on it. They can read the paper but cannot show it to anyone else.
- Set a timer for one minute. Start the timer when the student begins drawing.
- The student draws the item without using any words or numbers. The rest of the class tries to guess what the item is.
- If they guess correctly before the time is up, they get a point.
- Have another student draw the name of an item and repeat the steps.
Sauma
Pull out a pile of items you might need for a new baby (blankets, diapers, bottles, bibs, or burp clothes) and place them in front of the students. Discuss how a family prepares for a new baby. What items do they need? Do they know exactly when the baby will come? Do they just sit and wait for the baby to arrive, or are there things they need to do to be ready?
Ask how a family preparing for a new baby is like the scripture passage we read. What can we do to be ready for Christ in our lives?
Hand out sheets of paper to each student and ask them to draw what they can do to be ready for Christ in their hearts. Encourage them to use only pictures and no words or numbers, like a game of Pictionary™.
Vakauta
Invite children to share about their pictures or have the others guess what the images are.
Kalougata
Read or sing together “Hope Is a Light” CCS 398., stanzas four, as your closing prayer.
