Advent
Welcome to
Advent, the first season of the liturgical year. Advent season
honors waiting,
of all things—waiting with anticipation. This season also
contains a journey, which seems appropriate enough, since most
journeys involve a good deal of waiting. Waiting till it’s time
to set out … waiting at the airport … waiting for the shuttle …
waiting to check in … all the while anticipating, wondering—When
does this adventure truly begin? The psalmist says “Blessed are
those who have set
their hearts
on
pilgrimage,” suggesting that the adventure began at the first
stirrings, the first thought of travel, and that it may begin
anew at every step.
Prayers of the People for Advent
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This "Garden Goddess" by
artist Rachel Gaspers comes inside and
sits on my windowsill during Advent,
where the light from the window glows
through her swollen belly.
When I emailed Rachel
about using this image to evoke Mary
during Advent, she startled me by
replying that she had never thought of
her garden goddesses as being pregnant.
Rachel said, "I
emphasized her voluptuousness,
especially of tummy and legs, because
those are such womanly areas of our
bodies.
"However, being pregnant
seems comfortably right, because she
gives birth to ideas that need to be
nurtured into 'adulthood' just like
children."
You can see more of Rachel's sculpture
and paintings at
www.rachelgaspers.com. |
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These prayers take language and
inspiration from the scripture readings for the third Sunday of
Advent, which you can find on
The Lectionary Page.
More about responsive
prayer.
In
patience and in hope, (Leader's words in plain text.)
let us offer our prayers
to God,
saying with one voice,
We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near. (People's responses in bold italic.)
For all who walk in God’s Holy Way: those in the pews and in the
pulpits; those at home and on the streets; for all who ponder
God’s promise in their hearts, and all who carry the good news
into the world,
We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.
For the nations and their leaders: that eyes may be opened and ears unstopped, and that peace and justice break forth in
every land.
We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.
For all the world: heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is
in them. For the early and the late rains, and the precious crop
from the earth. For the gathering darkness and the light of
hope.
We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.
For this community and all who live in it, each member of the
whole body: friend and stranger, parent and child, brother and
sister, widow and orphan. Strengthen weak hands, dear God, and
make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful
heart, Be strong, do not fear!
We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.
For all who are nearest to you, O God: the lonely, the
out-of-work, the sick, the fearful, the cold, and the hungry. For the one
who is sorry, and the one who is ashamed. It is you, our God of
hope, who sets all prisoners free.
We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.
For all the departed, and all who remember,
We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.
We are waiting, O God, with all the patience we can muster.
Beloved of angels and archangels, Lover of saints and sinners,
God our Savior, to you alone we pray, Amen.
Scriptural
references
The
call, “We rejoice with joy and singing,” as well as the
references to God’s Holy Way, weak hands and feeble knees,
opened eyes and unstopped ears, and encouragement for the
fearful heart, are all taken from Isaiah 35.
The reference to good news is from Matthew 11.
The refrain, “For the coming of the LORD is near,” as well as
the reference to early and late rains and the precious crops are
from James 5.
The references to heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in
them, and to prisoners set free, come from Psalm 146.
The reference to God our Savior is derived from the Song of Mary
in Luke 1.
Meditation for Advent
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
-- Psalm 130: 5-6
What am
I waiting for today?
To be reborn
myself, of course. As always. To emerge from this brittle cocoon
of impatience and doubt. To open new wings and fly. To live
purposefully, with faith.
I’m not the only
one waiting for this miracle. When I look around me, in my home,
community, country, and world, it’s like looking into a great
mirror, my own longings reflected back to me, my own impatience,
doubts, and fears magnified to a sometimes-frightening degree.
At times, the world today reminds me of an egg, with its brittle
shell cracking. Cracking because it is brittle, and also because
there’s something inside. Something alive, strong, and new,
battering its way out.
If so, then we’re
living in a new Advent. Traditionally in the Christian church
calendar, Advent is a period of inward reflection during the
final weeks of Mary’s pregnancy. It’s a time for space to open
up in expectant hearts – new, empty space – ready to be filled.
During these
troubled days, it helps me to remember that the time of waiting
in pregnancy does much more than make space for the new thing.
The time of waiting is also the time of gestation. In making
space for new light, I’m also taking part in its creation.
Prayer for Advent
In this season of Advent, dear God, for the sake of new life,
let me look ahead with courage and love. Let me act not from
fear, but from faith. And, dear God, out of my impatient nature,
may I do nothing to rush this birth, but give it time for
wholeness. Grant me the patience to wait. Amen.
Quiet Day Prayers for Advent
On December 6, 2008, I joined with some of the women of
St. Hugh
of Lincoln Episcopal Church in Allyn, Washington for an
Advent Quiet Day.
“Blessed are those … who have set
their hearts on pilgrimage.” -- Psalm 84:5
Using themes of journeys and waiting, we shared stories and
prayers, walked a spiral labyrinth, and shared a meal of
soup and bread. The prayers posted here were written at the
Quiet Day and prayed aloud during our closing worship.
Prayers from the Quiet Day at St. Hugh of Lincoln in Allyn,
Washington, 6 December 2008
Dear God:
In each day help me to find a moment to be still, to be quiet.
It is in these moments I can feel you most and then feelings of
calm & peace set in. Help me to be more patient with “in the
meantime” and to trust in you always.
-- Karen
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Peace candle at St. Hugh |
Traveling
on life’s paths
Stumbling, at times on the rocks –
They are cornerstones
Laughter, tears, hope, trust,
Forgiveness despair and love
Life’s – God’s – cornerstones.
-- Garby
O Lord, my God, your creation amazes me,
as I gaze through the empty-leafed trees to the green,
as I listen to the music of the birds and shifting wind,
as I taste the salty air and the composting earth,
as I touch the prickly branches of the pine,
as I take in the smells of multimillion fragrances made by your
hand and passed to me.
Take away my fear of sharing.
Take away my fear of learning.
Take away my fear of creating.
Let me look for you in all things as I continue to be amazed.
-- Wilma
My Heavenly Father,
When I have troubles with my feelings, I go outside. I look at
the sky, trees, hear the birds, rain, or just feel the sun.
Peace comes to me, and there I know you are with me, and I’m at
peace. My Heavenly Father, I love you. I thank you.
-- Carol
O Holy Mystery,
In this great unraveling
occurring in our land
I offer to you the loose
strands of the
fabric of my being
Where all the tangles are
released
May we see clearly the
pattern of our intertwining souls
You in us
We in you
Woven tightly by everlasting love.
-- Robin
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