Church Family Moment for Sunday, December 8, 2024

By Director of Spiritual Formation Rebecca Guzman

1. Today, for those who are attending worship in person, we have the Alternative Gift Market. There is an online version of the Children’s Market. Click here to access it if you are worshiping from home or use the QR Code if you are in person. Watch some of the videos and learn more about the different places that SMPC supports during this Advent season.
2. Our scripture readings today are from Malachi and Luke. Find Malachi in your Bible. Now find Luke. The Malachi scripture is predicting what happens in Luke. There aren’t that many pages in the Bible, but there are 400 years between these writings! Think about how long that is! For comparison, 400 years ago was 1624. The Declaration of Independence hadn’t even been written! Think about how long that was for the people to wait. What do you think it was like for them?
3. Malachi’s message is not an easy one. He’s a prophet who is telling us that sometimes, following God will be very difficult. Think about taking a medicine that tastes terrible or getting a shot. How about putting on lotion when your skin is really dry and it stings?! Sometimes, we have to do things that are hard in order to be the kind of people that God wants us to be. Draw a picture of a time you had to do something difficult so that you could be better.
4. Journal, considering the following:
   1. What is a messenger? What’s their job?
   2. When have you had to do something difficult that helped you get better?
   3. What does it mean for something to be purified?