John 15:5-11

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

“I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.

“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.

Questions for Reflection:

How does it feel to know that Jesus deeply desires you to have joy, true joy, His joy?

What do you think it means to be "at home in Jesus's love"? Do you think you are?

Is there anything hard or challenging about being loved so very deeply by Jesus and then living in that love on a daily basis?

Prayer of the Week:

Daily Opening Prayer (including 2 minutes of silence)

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, I rejoice in the in the reality and opportunity to spend these moments in Your presence. It is so good to be with you Jesus, so good. Please, restore me in You and renew me in you that I might experience all of You that is possible. Fill me afresh Holy Spirit, saturate me in Your Love, saturate me in your Life and saturate me in Your JOY this day. Untangle me from my anxious thoughts, immerse me now in my true identity as a child of my heavenly Father with an irreplaceable role to play this day, in Your larger story.

Jesus, help me untangle from all other claims on my attention as I engage with you in this time. I ask for more of your JOY today and an increased capacity to REJOICE in You and all You are to me. I am open to You Jesus now … I rest in You… (Spend two minutes of reflective silence with eyes closed, this time is embedded in the audio version … just rest in the presence of yourself and Jesus!)

Daily Closing Prayer

Jesus, through the waiting of this Advent give me a deeper desire for you and for Your JOY in my life. I long for you and for a life of REJOICING! I long also for Your return to make all things new – when JOY and REJOICING will flow uninhibited! Jesus, I renounce any and all ways I tend to look to others and my circumstances as my source of JOY and my reason for REJOICING. I want You and all You have done, are doing and will do for me to be the foundation of my JOY - then I will be able see and not miss all the myriad people and experiences in my everyday life as invitations to REJOICE. Jesus, I admit that I am not good at JOY and REJOICING especially when my situation and circumstances are difficult and overwhelming. I trust Your grace in these moments. I trust you will meet me in those places as well. I know having your JOY does not ignore my reality but rather helps me navigate my reality with You in the center - and when You are with me then the possibilities HOPE and JOY and PEACE abound.

Thank you – Thank You – Thank You! I receive You now.

I am excited to see what you can do today. I know you can do amazing things, and I would love to be a part of them.

I am waiting for your cue.

Amen