Advent Worship and Corporate Action: The Third Sunday of Advent

By Carl Park

*These Advent devotionals are shortened versions of a church Advent resource provided by Carl Park, Great Commission Community Church, and adapted for our readers. We at AACC hope that these Advent devotionals can serve as an encouragement to our readers during this Advent Season. Please refer to our initial article for the full resource HERE.

Invitation 

Welcome. Today is the third Sunday of the Christian season of Advent. Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” We celebrate two advents of Christ during this season – and, really, every day. The first advent happened 2000 years ago when Jesus came to us. The second advent is the one we’re still waiting for, when Jesus will arrive again, to re-create everything and make us fully one with him.

All of us are invited, even called, by God to make Jesus our hope. None of us are more worthy or less worthy to encounter God today. There’s no chart with God that puts some of us closer and some of us farther away. We’re all on the same ground. So, whoever you are, wherever you’ve been, welcome. God’s Spirit is here. Let’s meet him.

Reading from the Gospels about Christ’s First Coming

Mark 12:38–13:2. (Read Italics Aloud) 

As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 

They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; 

but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. 

“Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you came and you will come with judgment. You will judge every oppressor; you will righteously deal with every person, government, and group that gets more powerful and rich by taking advantage of the most vulnerable. 

Lord Jesus, the first time you came, you said that the Jerusalem temple would be destroyed, not one stone left on another, because of how the temple leadership loved wealth and power and, to get more of it, took houses from widows. And it was destroyed. We remember how you keep your promises, including promises of judgment. They are fearsome and awesome, and they are real. 

Lord Jesus, rather than devouring widows’ houses, cause us to be compassionate and merciful people who help and defend widows. Let us be helpers to people and peoples who don’t have many resources or advocates to defend them. Make us, your body, like you, Lord. Amen. 

Sermon

Read Jeremiah 22:1–17

Prayer and Explanation of our Corporate Action to Obey the Word

Take a moment to reflect on Jeremiah 22:1–17 and consider how your church may take corporate action to promote justice in your community. Pray for:

• God’s justice to overcome systemic challenges to the poor or disadvantaged in your community.

• Ministries that provide support for public housing in struggling communities

• Ways your church can concretely contribute to local programs that support the poor, such as through affordable housing, economic opportunity, or mentoring programs. 

King Jesus, you defend the stranger. 

King Jesus, you defend the fatherless and the widow. 

Communion

On the night Jesus was betrayed…

Read Aloud this summary of Christ’s story. 

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day, he rose again from the dead.

He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.”

Sent

Go, in the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, to see the systemic problems in your communities, to promote justice on behalf of the poor, the widow, and the orphan, and to advocate for programs that help the disadvantaged.

Photo by Filip Bunkens on Unsplash

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Carl Park serves as a pastor to Great Commission Community Church in Arlington, VA, and faculty for the Institute for Worship Studies.