I.
In our passage for this week the prophet begins by asking the “daughters … Zion … Israel … Jerusalem” to sing, shout, rejoice and exult wholeheartedly.

Spend some time with the words of the prophet and listen for why the “daughters” should sing, shout, rejoice and exult.

You might even want to make a list of the justification for such singing.

II.
Zephaniah 3:14-20 (NRSVue)

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
     shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
     O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
     he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
     you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear, O Zion;
     do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
     a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
     he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
     as on a day of festival.”
I will remove disaster from you,
     so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors
     at that time.
And I will save the lame
     and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
     and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
     at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
     among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
     before your eyes, says the Lord.

III.
What rationals did you write down for the people’s rejoicing?

Look over the list you made and name the 3 or 4 most prominent reasons for rejoicing.

Why do you find those reasons the most important?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}