By Ana Lisa de Jong —
Christmas is for a moment
the veil lifted,
the light of Christ appearing
through the mist.
The bright glow
of a candle briefly lit,
that for a time
illuminates the room.
As a lover’s knock upon the door
causes the heart to lift,
so Christmas is the long awaited visit
to which we open our arms.
Christmas is the birth
of the promised child,
whose innocent dependence
draws from us our love.
So that Christmas is
the veil lifted,
the light of Christ appearing
in a crib.
But we must be careful
to not too soon forget,
the one to whose feet we bring
our treasures.
The bright glow
of a candle briefly lit,
might start and stutter,
until it goes out with the wind.
Or the lover’s embrace which warms,
depart,
to leave us waiting
and desirous again.
But Christmas that for a moment
lifts the veil,
shows us what lies always
behind the scenes of things.
Christ, in love
found a way to remain,
and has given us back our treasures,
surrendered at his feet.
So that the treasure that is Christ,
can be threaded through our days,
strung from one Christmas to the next,
as glowing lights across the heavens.
by Christine Sine
When I posted the litany for the first week of Advent this morning I think that I confused a few people so I thought that I would post this litany for the second Sunday of Advent as well even though it was posted last year. I hope that it provides a useful addition to your resources. And I couldn’t resist adding one of the Advent prayers to it as well.
by I wrote this litany several years ago for the Advent devotional Waiting for the Light but decided this year that it needed some revision and updating.
In this Advent season we await the coming of Christ
Come, Lord Jesus, come, We await your coming.
We await the coming of God’s revealing light,
Come, Lord Jesus, come, We await your coming.
We await the coming of God’s saving hope,
Come, Lord Jesus, come, We await your coming.
We wait the coming of God’s redeeming child,
Come, Lord Jesus, come, We await your coming.
(Pause for lighting of the Advent candles)
We wait for the God of life,
We wait for the Christ of love,
We wait for the Spirit of truth.
Come down, come in and dwell among us.
We wait in expectation of your coming,
We wait in hope for your promises,
We wait in joy for your salvation.
Come down, come in and dwell among us.
Come into our hearts that we may love you,
Come into our minds that we may know you,
Come into our lives that we may serve you.
Come down, come in and dwell among us.
(Read Scripture for the Day)
Child of promise come,
Revealer of God come,
Bringer of life come,
Come to the beaten and the battered,
To the despised and rejected,
To all in whom the divine image is still distorted.
We wait in joyful expectation.
Not for a distant emperor but for a helpless babe.
Not for a prince in a gold palace, but for a displaced and frightened refugee.
Not for a man of power, but for a vulnerable infant.
Come to those outcast like shepherds in the field.
Come to foreigners like Magi watching from afar.
Come to rich and poor, young and old, male and female.
We wait in hopeful anticipation.
Come and bless all creation with your love,
Bring salvation on the earth,
Rule with justice and in peace.
Come Child of promise, open the windows of our hearts
Come Christ of compassion, open the doors of our homes
Come Prince of Peace, open the pathways to our lives
We wait with all the peoples of the earth,
Child of hope we welcome your coming,
Christ of life we welcome your coming,
King of glory we welcome your coming.
Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus and lead the captives from their prisons,
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Come to bring peace in the midst of war,
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Come to offer comfort in the presence of mourning
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Come to provide abundance in the midst of hunger
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Come to show forth justice for those who have been oppressed
Come Lord Jesus for in you we trust O King of kings.
Let us put on hope to guide us,
Let us put on love to surround us,
Let us put on joy to sustain us,
Let us put on peace to inspire us.
And clothe ourselves with Christ.
Amen.
by Christine Sine
I was looking back through my Advent posts from last year and realized that somehow the litany for the first week of Advent never got posted. I realize this is a little late but for those who are looking for something for a midweek service it might be useful. Links for coming weeks of Advent are at the end. These all come from Waiting for the Light
Litany for the First Week of Advent
The advent of the Lord is near.
New light dawning where there has been darkness.
The advent of the Lord is near.
New hope reigning where there has been death and despair.
The advent of the Lord is near.
New light, new hope, new life for all creation.
Pause for lighting of the Advent candle
This is a season of preparation,
We prepare for Christ who broke the barriers between us and God, each other and God’s creation,
We wait with repentant hearts to prepare the way of the Lord,
This is a season of watchfulness,
We watch for the One who heard our cries and shared the suffering of our world,
We wait in anticipation for God’s light to penetrate the darkness and shine within us,
This is a season of promise,
We wait for the promised coming of Emmanuel, God with us, God for us, God in us.
We wait in hope for our Redeemer to bring God’s love into our broken world,
This is a season of reflection,
We expect to be transformed so that we can serve in God’s kingdom as bearers of light.
We wait expectantly for God’s Savior to come and dwell in our midst,
This is a season of fulfillment,
We await the promise of God’s kingdom: wholeness, reconciliation and plenty for all.
We wait for God’s covenant to be fulfilled, for God’s kingdom to come in its fullness,
This is a season of joyful anticipation,
We anticipate the day when God’s glory will be revealed to all people together.
We wait expectantly attentive to all the signs of Christ’s coming.
Read scriptures for the day from daily lectionary
Lord whose light shines in the darkness,
Have mercy upon us,
Christ whose birth gives hope to all creation
Have mercy upon us,
Lord whose advent brings joy and love,
Grant us peace.
Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. May your kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us our food for today, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Into our troubles and weaknesses,
Into the barren places of our souls, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the war torn and the refugee,
Into those who live in conflict, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the homeless and the unemployed,
Into those who feel abandoned, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the sick and the disabled,
Into those with COVID and cancer and depression, Come, Lord
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the poor and the starving,
Into those who are oppressed or abused, Come Lord
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the lives of loved ones,
Into those from whom we are estranged, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into our joys and celebrations,
Into our work and our achievements, Come, Lord
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Pause for participants to offer specific prayers and thanksgivings to God
Lord we long for your coming. Hasten the day when those who seek you in every nation will sit at you table. Hasten the day when suffering, pain, sickness, oppression and death will be overcome forever. Hasten the day when we will be resurrected as a multicultural family and live in peace, harmony, joy and love together in your kingdom.
Calm us to wait for the gift of Christ;
Cleanse us to prepare the way for Christ;
Teach us to contemplate the wonder of Christ;
Touch us to know the presence of Christ;
Anoint us to bear the life of Christ. AMEN
————————————————————————————————–
Advent Litany for the Second Week of Advent
by Christine Sine
It is easy for us to grab hold of the traditional symbols of Advent that encourage us to settle in and be comfortable rather than preparing us for unexpected changes. And I must confess I do love having some of those around. Celebrating the first Sunday of Advent at church on Sunday with the lighting of the first Advent candles on the wreath was one of the highlights of my week.
However I love to look for the unexpected symbols that unsettle me and keep me ready for the kinds of change that I think Advent challenges us to. I am still working on my Advent garden, hoping that it will provide some of these symbols, but in the meantime I need other untraditional and unexpected images of Mary to move me into the right frame of mind at this season.
The image above, an abbey altar piece know as The Visit of the Angels and painted between 1390 and 1400 is of Mary knitting. It is unsettling because she is doing something mundane and everyday when the angel Gabriel comes to her. Yes I know this is not really a part of the Advent story because it occurs 9 months before Jesus’ birth and is celebrated at the Feast of the Annunciation. However we have a tendency to think of it as part of the Advent story. Reflecting on this image makes us realize Mary is not some extraordinary woman called by God because she has strange super powers but an ordinary teenage girl living on the margins of the empire – vulnerable, and probably as uncertain as any teenager today.
This is a beautiful image to reflect on as we think about the unexpectedness of the Advent story. What catches your attention? What unsettles you? In what ways does it help prepare you for the unexpected ways that Jesus will be birthed in your heart and your life this Christmas?
Over the last few years I hav been attracted to several other unexpected images – the sculpture of Mary, with a loving Jesus behind her that I discovered and wrote about in my post Is Joseph the Unsung Hero of the Advent Story
Kenneth Bailey’s suggestion that Jesus was born in a family home and not in a stable. This is one idea that really unsettled me several years ago. I wrote about it in my post Was Jesus Really Born in a Stable and Why Does it Matter.
These images have all helped me to ready myself for the unexpected ways that Jesus comes to us at this season. What helps you get ready?
by Christine Sine
As Advent begins Tom and I have pulled out our Advent music. One of my favourite Advent hymns is Come Thou Long Expected Jesus with music by by Rowland H. Prichard and lyrics are by Charles Wesley. However this year I find myself singing Come thou unexpected Jesus. The Jews were waiting for a Messiah but not one like this. Nothing about the birth of Jesus was what they expected: at the centre is Mary who conceives as an unwed teenager, Joseph who accepts a child not his own and Elizabeth who welcomes and supports her cousin through what must have been a harrowing first few months of her pregnancy. All of them living at the outskirts of the empire unknown by the priests and rulers in Jerusalem, unimportant in the political and religious scene of the day.
Good reason for Mary to be afraid when the angel Gabriel comes to visit. Her world, in fact the whole world was about to be changed and she was centre stage.
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Grace to you, young woman, for the Lord is with you[w] and so you are anointed with great favor.” Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. 30 But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. ( Luke 1:28 – 30.TPT )
Advent disrupted everything in the life of Mary, Joseph and Elizabeth. It should disrupt everything in our lives too as we look in hope and anticipation towards the coming of the One through whom God and the entire creation will one more be fully united.
So often we hope for change in our lives and our world, wanting to see that better world of God’s promises come into being, but when God suggests that we could be the instruments of that change we draw back afraid to step out of our comfort zones. We want change to happen without us needing to do anything. After all we are small and insignificant players in God’s plan. How could we possibly be the instruments of change that God is looking for?
As I wait with Mary for the birth of Jesus this Advent season I look around at a world that desperately needs change. We face a climate crisis that will devastate our world if we don’t make radical changes to our lifestyles. We face political upheaval and economic turmoil in ways that I have not seen before in my lifetime. It is easy for fear and anxiety to rear their ugly heads and hold us captive.
God comes to all of us in so many unexpected ways asking us to be the change the world needs to see. I think that Mary , in some ways, represents all of us – unsettled by what God’s messengers have said, yet needing to embrace our call to be instruments of change without yielding to our fears. We do indeed need to make room for Christ to be born afresh in our hearts and in our lives this year in ways that can help change our world.
So what do we do during this season of waiting?
- Listen to the angels. We may not have heavenly visitors come to us but there are other messengers that God is sending to help us find our way to the Messiah – environmentalists like Greta Thunberg, activists like Jim Wallis and contemplatives like Richard Rohr who know that there needs to be change in the world and call us to be the instruments of that change. Who are the angels who are messengers of change and new birth for you?
- Look for the Elizabeths. When God calls who do we run to? All of us need supporters like Joseph and Elizabeth who can help keep God’s dreams alive during the seasons of hard waiting that we face. Who are the ones that support you and encourage you when God’s call comes and you are afraid?
- Don’t be afraid of the unexpected. Like Mary we need to be willing to be instruments of change without yielding to our fears and anxieties. God finds delight in all of us and promises us a special gift – not necessarily a baby born in a manger but a fresh touch of the divine presence born in our hearts and in our minds. Are we willing to let go of our expectations for this season and allow God to reveal something new to us?
What Is Your Response?
Sit quietly and prayerfully read through the prayer above. Now close your eyes and listen to the song below. Instead of long expected Jesus read unexpected Jesus. What comes to your mind? Is there something unexpected that God is wanting to give birth to in you this year? What is one action step you could take as Christmas approaches to make this possible?
NOTE: The prayer above is one of the Advent prayers available in our new set of Advent prayer cards. Today the digital versions are available at a discount price.
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By Carol Dixon —
In the dark days at the beginning of December, I venture out into our garden (usually my husband’s domain) and look out for little green shoots appearing. It may seem an odd time of year in the chilly county of Northumberland in northern England to be looking for new growth in the garden but this small plant with its glossy green foliage for me heralds the start of the Advent/Christmas season. Once I see the dark leaves I know that later in the month a special flower will bloom with pure white petals, described in one of my favourite carols from Germany ‘Es ist ein Ros entsprungen’ (known in English as ‘There is a rose growing’)
I first sang this carol as a teenager at the girls’ grammar school I attended almost 60 years ago and I was fascinated by the idea of a Christmas Rose. We now have one in our garden which blossoms between Christmas and new year – a wonderful memory of our 17 year old niece who was killed on the last day of the year in 1998. Although the hymn and the poem seem more pertinent in the Northern Hemisphere where Christmas falls in midwinter I find it a great consolation to remember in all the wintry seasons of our lives, whatever time of year, that God, who became one of us, is with us at all times, everywhere. One of my favourite versions of the hymn is the version by Nana Mouskouri.
A rose Arose Hymn – From the 15th century Carol ‘Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen’
In the dark recesses
of winter world
a sleeping seed
germinates.
Cocooned within
the womb, a foetus
flexes fragile fingers
tipped with tiny nails;
birth beckons;
a journey begins:
darkness gives way
to light.
Hidden in the humus
of a stable yard,
a simple rose grows
and, on Christmas morning,
blossoms.
Christmas Prayer
You came as a baby, Lord,
as a little helpless child
who relied on a human family
to care for him.
You cried because you were hungry,
because you were homeless,
because you were a stranger
far away from home.
You still cry with hunger, Lord,
in the voices of the many starving;
your tears still flow for the homeless,
the lonely and the forgotten;
you still rely on human families
to care for you.
And so this Christmas, Lord, we pray:
help us to be the kind of people
who look for you in the world,
and joyfully discover you
as we care for one another.
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