2nd Monday in Advent

2nd week in Advent -- Monday                                Isaiah 9:6

                                      Mighty God

In the old days,

people worshiped other gods:

Molech, god of fire

Baal, god of the mountains

Ishtar, goddess of fertility.

But we’re more sophisticated now.

We don’t worship statues,

or natural wonders,

or mysteries in the universe.

We make sophisticated gods,

more subtle and wondrous:

power

money

leisure --

things to which we give our time,

for which we spend our energy

and resources.

But gods are gods, aren’t they?

Yet along comes Jesus,

whose name is Mighty God,

as if to remind us

that there really are no other gods.

Only illusions.

God of our life:

Forgive us, for we often join with the Hebrews of old and search for new gods to worship.  Forgive our idolatry.  Help us, especially during this Advent season, to worship you, and you alone, with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind; in Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.

1st Saturday in Advent

1st week in Advent -- Saturday                                Isaiah 9:6

                                   A Child Is Born

A baby . . .

wondrous,

adorable,

cuddly,

oohs and ahs,

a bundle of love.

A baby . . .

smelly,

noisy,

confusing,

wet and dirty,

a bundle of "What now?"

All the splendor and miracle,

the joy and perplexity

of life are packaged

in the newborn.

All the Awe,

Miracle,

Wonder, and

Love of God

come to us,

packaged in the ancient words

of Good News:

"For to us a child is born,

to us a Son is given . . ."

Creator God:

In the stillness of night you came and created a new thing -- Your own self, born of a woman, to redeem and save us all.  How wonderful and mysterious and loving are your ways.  We thank you for the simple gift of a child, for the amazing Gift of the Child, Jesus; in whose name we both live and pray.  Amen.

1st Friday in Advent

1st week in Advent -- Friday                                   Isaiah 9:4

                               The Shattered Yoke

The yoke --

symbol of hard labor,

oxen=s jobs.

The yoke --

symbol of slavery;

symbol of tyranny.

You try,

but you cannot escape it.

The yoke --

heavy,

overbearing,

seemingly impossible to remove.

Yet God does the impossible --

lifts the yoke like a pencil,

shatters it with ease,

splinters everywhere.

And we look in amazement

at the splinters lying still.

How could it have been so heavy?

God with us --

Immanuel --

shatters yokes every day,

taking burdens too long carried

off of shoulders too long stooped.

Ah, the feel of freedom!

O Lord:

We come to you at times carrying what seems to be the weight of the world on our shoulders.  We carry with us hurts from long ago, fears that reside deep within us, resentments that burn and fester.  Take from us the yoke that is too heavy to carry, and stand with us in the new day of freedom; in the name of Jesus, our Lord and liberator.  Amen.

1st Thursday in Advent

1st week in Advent -- Thursday                            Isaiah 9:2-3

                                 Long, Dark Night

"Did you see that star,"

the crazy woman said

in her 3:00 a.m. phone call.

"Do you think Jesus is coming back tonight?"

Crazy.

Out of touch.

Inappropriate.

Yet all she was seeking

was what we all seek:

Peace in the dark corners of life.

The darkness can be so frightening,

so overwhelming,

so all-consuming.

And Isaiah's description

is as accurate today

as it was centuries ago . . .

"The people who walked in darkness."

Yet Isaiah's words --

God's word --

did not end,

does not end.

Hope is promised,

God will come.

The crazy woman was right

to search the night skies

and to reach out.

O God:

We long to reach out, to search for hope in the darkness that seems to surround us.  Give us sure signs of hope in the every day things that we see, and in the quiet hours of night that we experience; in Jesus' name.  Amen.

1st Wednesday in Advent

1st week in Advent -- Wednesday                          Isaiah 7:14

                                      Incarnation

Every lover of dinosaurs knows:

Herbivores eat plants,

Carnivores eat herbivores,

and other things with meat.

Carnivores love the carnal,

that which is flesh and bones.

Thus Jesus is God who has become

intimate with the carnal --

become flesh and blood,

just like us --

The Creator has become the creature.

Why?

So that we know,

for a certainty,

that God Almighty now knows

the real struggles we know,

living in this less-than-perfect world.

More than that,

we now know,

for a certainty,

that God will never leave us alone.

For God has become one with us,

Immanuel.

Lord:

Thank you for coming to us, for coming to be one with us.  Thank you for standing beside us, this day and all the days of our lives.  Remind us of your loving presence with us; in the name of Jesus -- Immanuel -- we pray.  Amen.

1st Tuesday in Advent

1st week in Advent -- Tuesday                                John 1:6-9

                                    Candle-Power

Advent --

the season of light,

season of candles.

Candles, once lighted,

fill the room

with gentle, tender light,

pierce the darkness,

and cause shadows to dance with joy.

Candles fill our churches,

flicker from our Advent wreathes.

Candles somehow find a place in our hearts:

a place for joy,

for love,

for dancing,

for God.

Lord Jesus,

Light of the world:

Rekindle in our hearts

the candle of your love,

And let it burn long,

and warm,

and strong.

Forever.

Amen.

1st Monday in Advent

1st week in Advent -- Monday                        Galatians 4:4-7

                        Waiting:  An Advent Prayer

Waiting . . .

Lord, I=m tired of waiting:

waiting for the next appointment

waiting for school to get out

waiting for the 4:30 time-clock

or the 6:02 to the city

waiting for Christmas finally to get here.

It seems that waiting

is what I most often do -

waiting to feel closer to You,

waiting for my prayer life to mature,

waiting to be Aspiritual.@

I wait for others to do what they should,

even when I cannot do what I know I must.

I am tired of waiting, Lord.

I have become impatient with my impatience!

So, during Advent,

slow me down, Lord.

Let me drink deeply the sweet water

of your love, your presence.

Let me rest awhile

in the sea of your grace.

And let me patiently learn

the art of waiting; knowing that,

In the fullness of time,

your will will be done.

Amen.