Praying into Advent
Ever
since the 4th century, Christians have used the “Church year” (also
called the “Liturgical calendar”) as a worship guide for “living into” the
story of God’s faithfulness to us. This
year begins tomorrow,
the first Sunday of Advent, and continues through
Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost
(and
then continues through what is called “Ordinary Time”). It’s quite
stunning to picture how millions of our fellow believers have received
blessing upon blessing by living
into this rhythm for the past 1700 years.
It’s
fitting that our 30 ways of prayer end as Advent begins. To participate in this transition, pray your
way into Advent by pondering the story of God’s faithfulness and your part in
it. For example:
“Lord,
we long for the day when our faith shall be sight, and tears shall be no
more. We are in awe as we contemplate your
long-suffering faithfulness: you became
one of us in the fullness of time, dying and rising again, and sending the
Spirit as a deposit of the new creation that we groan for in eager
anticipation. Through the refining power
of your Spirit, shape us as your New Creation signposts so that:
As we gaze on Your kingly brightness, so our
faces display Your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory, mirrored
here may our lives tell Your story
Shine on me, shine in me, shine through us. (adapted from “Shine, Jesus, Shine”)
No comments:
Post a Comment