Lead in: “It had been revealed to him (Simeon) by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ.” Luke 2 Simeon had one wish he hoped to see accomplished in his life before he died. And so, he waited in expectation for that wish to be fulfilled.
Prompt: If you had one thing you hope to see accomplished in your life before you die, what would that be?
Lead in: According to the custom of the law, the parents of Jesus brought him to the temple for his purification. They were met by a man named Simeon. Being a faith filled man of deep prayer, Simeon could immediately sense there was something special about the baby that he held in his arms.
Prompt: Has there ever been a time when, like Simeon, you instinctively knew that you were about to witness something special that only God could make happen?
Lead in: Holding the child Jesus in his arms, Simeon proclaimed in a prayer of praise, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace. … for my eyes have seen your salvation.” Luke 2 But what do we mean by the word “salvation”? We might think of salvation as being saved from what seems like an impossible situation from which there is no escape.
Prompt: Reflect on a time when all seemed overwhelming, but the God of salvation gave you the strength to survive a situation from which there seemed no way out.
Lead in: We live in troubled times. There’s polarization on so many fronts, church, state, and on the international scene. Social and political tension abound. At the same time, if we look around we see people helping people. There are humanitarian efforts to assist the poor, house the homeless and provide a way back for those enslaved by addiction. All are visible signs of God’s saving grace breaking into the world. And the beautiful thing is that God uses ordinary people like you and me to make it happen. That’s how we can be vessels of grace for each other.
Prompt: Reflect on a time when you have seen God’s grace breaking into the world through people being vessels of grace for each other.
Lead in: Hebrews 2 tells us that in Jesus, we have a companion who understands what it’s like to suffer because he himself was tested and has endured the same suffering that we’ve experienced.
Prompt: Reflect on a time when the companionship of Jesus helped you endure trials that you may not have been able to move beyond without him.
