Advent 3
Joy and Restoration:
God With Us in Healing
Scripture Readings
Isaiah 35:1–10
Psalm 146:5–10
James 5:7–10
Matthew 11:2–11
Suggested Hymns
- Rejoice, the Lord is King — Rejoice & Sing 126 / Complete Mission Praise 575
- Joy to the World — R&S 135 / CMP 393
Other Suitable Choices
- Short sung responses or chants that emphasise joy, healing, or restoration
Opening Prayer
God of Joy and Renewal,
In Your presence the barren land blooms and the blind see.
Come again to awaken us with the light of Your mercy.
May Your joy take root in our hearts and blossom in our lives.
Through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.
Reflection
This week you are invited to explore Joy and Restoration—joy not as cheerful optimism, but as the deep confidence that God’s healing is already at work in you and around you.
Isaiah imagines deserts bursting into bloom and broken bodies restored. James encourages patient hope. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus answers John the Baptist’s doubts with signs of renewal: “the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear.”
These scriptures remind you that joy is not an escape from difficulty. It is a sign of God’s presence transforming suffering. Even John—faithful, courageous John—struggles to see hope from his prison cell. His doubts show that uncertainty is part of the journey.
Jesus responds not with explanation but with evidence of life renewed. Joy becomes an act of resistance—a refusal to let despair or fear have the final word. During Advent you are invited to practise this kind of joy: to notice God’s quiet work of restoration, to trust that Emmanuel—God with us—is already bringing healing in unexpected places.
Discussion Questions
• What does joy mean to you in the context of faith?
• What can you learn from John’s doubts and Jesus’s response?
• How might joy be a form of resistance in hard times?
Artwork Meditation
Piero della Francesca, Battesimo di Cristo (c. 1450)
Tempera on panel — National Gallery, London
Piero’s painting captures a still moment between heaven and earth. The light is calm and clear, reflecting the early Renaissance belief that divine order could be glimpsed in the harmony of the natural world. The figures stand balanced and composed; even the dove descends with quiet clarity.
This sense of ordered peace hints at a society longing for coherence after conflict, seeking renewal. The sacred and everyday sit side by side: the Jordan resembles a familiar Tuscan stream, and the angels stand like neighbours observing. Piero’s geometry and restraint reflect a trust that God’s light can bring healing to what is fractured.
As you reflect, you might ask:
Where do I seek God’s restoring light? How might divine stillness meet the unsettled places in my life?
Spiritual Practice: “Receiving Joy”
Materials
A small bowl of water for each participant (or one to share)
1. Begin (3–5 minutes)
Gaze at the painting. Notice the still water, the descending dove, the peace on Christ’s face. Let your breathing soften. Allow silence to settle like the calm surface of the Jordan.
2. Reflect (5–7 minutes)
Hold these questions in quiet:
- Where in your life do you long for renewal?
- How do you recognise God’s joy—not as fleeting pleasure, but as deep trust and peace?
- What simple act of gratitude might open your heart to joy today?
Let thoughts settle like ripples returning to stillness.
3. Act (5–10 minutes)
Dip a finger into the water and trace a cross on your hand or forehead, saying quietly:
“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” — Psalm 51:12
Whisper one word of thanksgiving for something that has brought light this week.
4. Pray (2–3 minutes)
God of living water,
In the quiet of this moment,
Wash away our weariness and awaken joy within us.
May we rise renewed,
Bearing the light of Your peace and the song of Your love.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
5. Closing Response (5–7 minutes)
If you wish, share a word or image that expresses joy for you—something that helps you see “God with us” in the ordinary.
Optional Practice for the Week
Keep a small “joy journal” or simply note one moment each day when you sensed God’s renewal—a kindness, a moment of beauty, a breath of peace.
At week’s end, look back and give thanks.
Closing Invitation
As you go, may the stillness of Piero’s Jordan stay with you.
May you carry a quiet, hopeful joy—deep enough to resist despair and tender enough to notice God’s healing presence in unexpected places.
Closing Prayer
God of Joy and Peace,
You have shown us the light that the darkness cannot overcome.
May our hearts be filled with gratitude,
Our voices lifted in praise,
And our lives shine with the joy of Your coming.
Amen.