The four Sundays before Christmas are known as the ecclesiastical season of Advent. Advent is a Latin word which means “Coming.” Advent is when we focus on the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. Each year once again we prepare for the astonishing appearance of the one we call the Son of God who was born in a rough shelter for livestock and placed in a feeding trough for animals. God does not do things the way we think He should - - - thank God. Therefore let us, with renewed Advent expectations, worship God.
Pastoral Prayer
We praise Thee, O God, for Thy presence with us in the passing years of our lives. Summer weather merges into autumn, autumn suddenly becomes Advent, and once again we find ourselves in the holiday season. Thou dost dwell in eternity, and yet Thou art willing to move among us in time. Especially at this time of year we recall again how Thou didst come to us in the form of a baby born in poverty to parents who were mystified by what was happening to them. Help us to learn to look for Thee in unexpected places and circumstances, and to trust that Thy ways are not our ways, nor are Thy thoughts our thoughts. Open our eyes to see extraordinary divinity in ordinary humanity, and then by that newly-given vision lead us more clearly into Thy presence.
We confess before Thee that too often we enter into the holidays not truly as holy days but as occasions which we allow to cause us growing stress. We give too much attention to unimportant matters and too little attention to what is really important. We are swept into a maelstrom of putting major effort into minor issues and minor effort into major issues. Convince us anew that one is coming who shall turn the world upside down, and show us how we must play our own part in the divine disruption.
As we have prayed for ourselves as we begin Advent, now we pray for others whose needs are far greater than our own. We remember families all over the world where loved ones have been killed in senseless violence and warfare. We pray for people who are dying because they are too poor to purchase medicine which can cure their illnesses, and for people who live in places where no medical assistance is available, even if they had the finances to pay for it. We pray for those who have given their lives to propagating their religion, only to see it grossly misused by others who murder and maim because of their twisted notions of what their religion truly means. Encourage the noble evangelicals in every religion in the face of the ignoble savagery of those who do evil, whether or not they themselves are evil in Thy sight. May the Prince of Peace bring peace to our time, O Lord. All these prayers we make in his name. And now we pray together as he taught his disciples, saying, Our Father….