This Sunday, December 16th

Have you ever been embarrassed? I’m guessing all of us have. Usually, we can laugh at ourselves when we are embarrassed. But there is a step beyond embarrassment that isn’t funny at all: humiliation. Being humiliated is painful, and the stigma that we feel can last a long time. This Sunday, we will be talking a little about the humiliation that was experienced by the people of Judah when they lost their kingdom and their temple. The last section of the book of Zephaniah (3.14-20) was written to address their “shame,” and promises that their shame will one day be turned into “praise.” This turning of shame into praise is one of the facets of the gem of hope we know as “Advent.” Essentially, Advent means that God is still God, and therefore pain, guilt, and shame can never have the last word: pain can be turned into healing, guilt can be turned into forgiveness, and shame can be turned into praise. In what ways have we experienced shame as Christians in the twenty-first century? And, more importantly, how might that shame be turned into praise? 

Hope to see you Sunday!