Hi church! You survived yesterday's post and I didn't make you mad enough to not come back. Good to know :) Outside of say, a surprise birthday parties, I don't really like being surprised. I suspect thats true for many of you as well! A surprise meeting, arrangement, or higher bill than you had planned for is never a good feeling. I like to be in the loop with stuff so I can think critically on it and make an informed decision and surprises often do not permit that kind of thing. Jesus, often surprised his followers. Perhaps not in the awkward position of being asked for money but he surprised them with tasks they were not always comfortable with, journeys they would have not expected to go, and miracles they could have never imagined. For Judas, Jesus might have even surprised by not attacking the Romans when he brought them to him. Who knows?
However, our faith often surprises us in meaningful ways. A particular hymn, scripture, song, or sermon might strike our hearts on just the perfect day. We might encounter a God moment from a complete stranger on a stressful day. Faith is not something we can plan for, expect, or be strategic about. We just need to trust that when Jesus leads us somewhere that he will meet us on the other side or has something He wants us to see. The scripture for today will show you a number of times that the disciples were surprised by Jesus' instructions but found blessing on the other side. How can we be less controlling over Jesus' revelations and be more open to surprises by the Holy Spirit this Advent season?
Scripture to Read
This beautiful story features a woman who was surprised by a visit from God and disciples that were surprised that Jesus would talk to this person. How might you be moved by this scene?
The Chosen captured this scene perfectly. I invite you to watch the scene below.
Questions to Consider
When is the last time I was "surprised" by God? What was that experience like?
Have I ever felt "unworthy" of God? What changed that?
Praying the Hymns
This hymn is inspired by John 4 and is told from the viewpoint of the woman at the well. After watching the scene above listen to this song and imagine as if you were there in the space with her and Jesus is talking to you.
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