Bearing God: An Advent Journey with Mary (Session Two) скачать в хорошем качестве

Bearing God: An Advent Journey with Mary (Session Two)

In this three-week Advent series, we will explore the story of Mary—whom the Eastern tradition calls Theotokos, the “God-Bearer”—and consider how she serves as an archetype for every Christian life. Like Mary, we are invited to carry the presence of God within us and into the world. And like Mary, learning to bear God changes how we see, respond to, and encounter the holy in every moment. Through short teachings, simple activities, and small-group conversations, we will open ourselves to the presence of God at work within us, so that we too may learn what it means to bear God in our daily lives. Session One, Dec. 7, 2025: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) Saying Yes to God Mary’s “yes” to God is the doorway through which the Incarnation enters the world. In this session we will explore what it means to say yes to God—and how every yes involves a no to something else. We’ll consider the fears, freedoms, and invitations present in Mary’s response and reflect on the small and large yeses God might be inviting us into this Advent. Bearing God begins with consent: a willing openness to God’s life taking shape within us. Session Two, Dec. 14, 2025: The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56) Carrying God Into Community Mary, now bearing the hidden presence of Christ, goes “with haste” to Elizabeth—and the life she carries awakens joy, recognition, and blessing in another. This week we’ll explore how carrying God within us shapes the way we show up in our relationships, our families, and our communities. What happens when the presence of God in one person calls forth the presence of God in another? Through Mary’s visit we discover that bearing God is never a solitary calling; it creates community, mutual blessing, and shared praise. Session Three, Dec. 21, 2025: The Nativity (Luke 2:1-21) Birthing God into the World At Christmas, what Mary has carried in hiddenness is brought forth for the healing of the world. In this session we will reflect on what it means to “birth” God in our own lives—to allow the life of Christ within us to become visible, embodied, and offered to others. Through Mary’s labor, vulnerability, and trust, we’ll consider how God is asking us to give shape, voice, and flesh to divine love in our daily lives. Bearing God culminates in sharing God.