For
Sunday, December 9, 2018, 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C, Readings: Baruch 5:1-9, Canticle 16/Song of
Zechariah/Luke 1:68-69,
Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6
For they went out
from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back…carried
in glory, as on a royal throne. [Baruch 5:6]
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn
from on high shall break upon us to shine on those who dwell in darkness and
the shadow of death... [Canticle
16/Luke 1:78-79a]
I thank my God every
time I remember you…And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and
more with knowledge and full insight…so that in the day of Christ you may be
pure and blameless… [Philippians 1:3, 9, 10b]
[A]s it is written in the book of the words of the prophet
Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness 'Prepare the way of
the Lord, make his paths straight...'" [Luke 3:4]
"Slow down you move too fast, got
to make the [moment] last..." sang Simon and Garfunkel once upon a long
time ago. But at this time of the year we seem to be in warp speed. The clock is ticking, the dates on the calendar fly, there's so
much to do, to get, to buy, to wrap, to cook, to clean, to prepare, to finish...so
how is THIS supposed to be the season of waiting? The clear question arises – for
what is it, exactly, are we preparing? It is, of course, for the coming of Jesus, the birth of the Child
raised up by God as our Mighty Savior,
as we hear in the Song of Zechariah. John,
the son of Zechariah, comes out of the wilderness, as the voice crying in the wilderness, that Isaiah foretold, to proclaim a baptism of repentance and
remind us to prepare the way of the Lord.
Advent is time to think new thoughts about
the whys of what we do; a time to be conscious about what is the true gift of
life; time to take a break from the ordinary hurry and worry to make ourselves
ready for the Christ who saves our souls. Yet this time is made excessively
stressful by self-imposed earthly expectations that we accept on behalf of this
season. Waiting in these few weeks exacerbates
the multiple frustrations of life. There are lines everywhere ~ at the copier,
the elevator, the Post Office, the grocery store, in traffic, the doctor's
office, and don’t even talk about the mall! But instead of caving to irritation
and anger, we can use it to take long, slow, deep breaths and reflect on our
deeds of the day, the week, or whatever time frame we choose; the moments that
were good, bad, or really not pretty. How often have I looked
for God in those moments, offered a brief prayer, a petition, a thanksgiving?
How might a little waiting time with
God adjust my perspective during my short time in this world? One minute
now, 5 later, in the shower, just after turning out the light...just
before opening my eyes in the morning, on the way to work...I can make
those times God-moments and the more of those I have, the less stress I will have,
or at least the stronger I’ll feel in the midst of it all.
Another suggestion I’ve seen is to start
Dec 1 and read one chapter of Luke per day so that by Christmas Eve we will
have read the entire life of Christ. Perhaps we’ll arrive at a deeper
understanding of the meaning of Christmas itself. Even the decorations take on
a new vibrancy, as if you prepare your home for the arrival of an amazingly
special guest, the One on whom your entire life depends. So, even though this
is the second Sunday of Advent, there's time to catch up and prepare your own way for the Lord. Slow down. Don’t move too fast. Un-warp. The Lord is with you.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader:
~ God of Glory and
Praise, calm
our preparations for the celebration ahead, that we may take time now to prepare
ourselves for Christ, God’s true gift.
Overflow us with Your love as we make way for the coming of our Savior in each
and every day.
O
Lord, our God
RESPONSE: Guide
us to Your Peace
~ God of Glory
and Praise, for
all who cry out from the wilderness of hunger, separation, and fear, urge us to
exhort all who govern on this Earth, in this Country, and in this Community, to
deliver the distressed from the shadow of death into the brightness of safety
and abundance. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O
Lord, our God
Guide
us to Your Peace
~
God of Glory and Praise, shine Your healing light and love on those who dwell in the darkness
of chronic illness or spiritual isolation, and sustain the energy of all who
give them care. We now join
our voices to pray aloud for those in need…
O
Lord, our God
Guide
us to Your Peace
~ God of Glory
and Praise, hold
fast to those traveling the rough way of grief as You embrace our loved ones
now arrived in the fullness of joy to Your everlasting splendor. We pray especially for:
O
Lord, our God
Guide
us to Your Peace
~ God of Glory and Praise, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud
or silently…
O
Lord, our God
Guide
us to Your Peace
~ God of Glory
and Praise, grant
continuing renewal and unlimited energy to all who guide us in our worship, teach
us Your words, and share our journey to eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
Lord, our God
Guide
us to Your Peace
The
Celebrant adds:
O God of the Eternal Dawn and Endless Love, guide us to accept and
proclaim a new baptism of repentance and to put our life in Christ above all
worldly pursuits, that if suddenly called, we will be ready to account for our
time of earthly life. We ask through Jesus the Christ, our Mighty Savior, and
the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier, who together with You are One God, forever and
ever. Amen.
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