Old Testament

Shine your Light through us

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
Stained Glass Window via flickr CC BY 2.0​
 
O God, this Advent season is a time
   when your light radiates through the world.
Inasmuch as we can,
   let us be bright for you.

Shine your light through us
   as though we were pieces of stained-glass window.
Flow through us into others
   as the warm glow of colors seeps into a church.

Fill us with your light
   as though we were lighthouses on the shore.
Use us to guide others
   and to keep them from danger.

Set us aflame with your light
   as though we were candles, even candles in a storm.
Enable us to burn steadily with your fiery spirit
   and to push aside all forms of darkness.

Turn us on with your light
   as though we were Christmas bulbs
   all connected to one another.
Help us as a community of faith to celebrate
   the sparkling good news of your Son’s coming birth.

Be present with us, God, throughout the Advent season
   as we live and worship in our wait
for the One who is the world’s light.
   Amen

Glen Raisley
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Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
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How can you join with others in shining the Light of Jesus? 

It is your home

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
Bright moon, scattered stars; so solitary is creation.
The universe which God has created is especially
   silent on this night.
It waits with bated breath
   for the Lord of Creation to return.
The universe belongs to God,
   it is his home.

Silence reigns supreme.
The flowers of the field sway gently
   in the moonlight.
This night, the vast earth awaits
   the homecoming of our Creator God.
The vast earth and open fields belong to God,
   they are his home.

Bethlehem lies dreaming.
In his gentle mother’s arms,
   the babe sleeps peacefully this night.
The City of David awaits
   the homecoming of David’s descendant.
The town of Bethlehem belongs to him,
   it is his home.

My bones, my flesh, my blood, my lungs and my heart,
   were all made by his hand.
This night, my heart is at peace,
   awaiting my Creator’s return.
My heart belongs to him,
   it is his home.

Advent prayer from China
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Micah 5:2

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.
 
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How do you recognize God’s presence in creation?
How do you see God’s presence in Jesus? Within yourself?

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bring Life and Peace to us

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O King of the nations,
You are the headstone of the glorious hall of creation.
You are the firm mortar which holds the building together.
Throughout the earth people marvel at your works.
But now the building is being reduced to a ruin by greed and fear:
 
Reveal yourself to mankind, 
    show yourself as the ruler of the world,
    demonstrate the power of your love.
 
O just and faithful King,
    you can unlock the prison-house of sin,
    and let us out into the glorious freedom of love.
Now we sit in darkness,
    grieving over the wrongs we have committed.
We long for the sun,
    we yearn for the warmth and brightness of your truth.
Open the gate of this prison, and lead us to your kingdom,
    which is our true home.
 
Come now, high king of heaven.  
Come to us in flesh and bone.  
Bring life to us who are weary with misery.  
Bring peace to us who are overcome with weeping,
    whose cheeks are covered with bitter salt tears.  
Seek us out, who are lost in the darkness of depression.  
Do not forget us, but show mercy to us.  
Impart to us your everlasting joy,
    so that we, who are fashioned by your hands,
    may praise your glory.
 
Exeter Book, c.960,  codex of Old English poetry
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Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
 
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Where is God’s life and peace most needed in your community?
Pray that the power of Christ’s love would be revealed in this situation.

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Come Thou long expected Jesus

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Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Charles Wesley 1707 – 1788 English hymn writer and Methodist
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Haggai 2:6-7 

This is what the Lord Almighty says:
‘In a little while I will once more shake
    the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come,
    and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.

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What are some of the desires of the nations that only God can fulfill?
How can you be praying for your country this season?

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Send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations

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Savault Chapel, France, Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
 
Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness,
    send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do
    seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.
We who are anxious over many things
    look forward to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways
    long for the complete joy of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy
    seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people,
    walking in darkness,
    yet seeking the light.
To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!”

Henri Nouwen 1932 – 1996 Dutch Catholic priest and author
source
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Isaiah 42:6, 16

I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
    and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
    I will not forsake them.
 
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What is one way that you can prepare your heart this Advent season? 

search for your tired sheep

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Christ as the good shepherd, Lucas Cranach the Younger, via Wikimedia Commons
 
Come therefore, Lord Jesus, to look for your servants,
   to search for the tired sheep.
Come, O Shepherd, and look for me as Joseph sought his brethren.
Your sheep has gone astray, while you dwelt in the mountains.
Leave there the ninety-nine other sheep,
    and come after the one which strayed away.
Come without dogs, without the bad workers,
    without the hirelings too uncouth to enter through the door.
Come without seeking help or being announced:
    long have I waited for your arrival.
I know you will come,
    “because I have not forgotten your commandments.”
Come, not with a whip, but with charity and gentleness of heart . . .
Come to me, for I am disturbed by the incursions of the ravening wolves . . .
Come to look for me, for I too am seeking you.
Search for me, gather me to you, carry me.
You can find the one you seek: deign to welcome the one you find,
    and to place him on your shoulders . . .

Ambrose of Milan c.339-397 Bishop of Milan
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Isaiah 40:10-11

Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.
 
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When have you felt like a lost sheep?
How did God lead you back to safety?

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yearning for your Coming

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​Redentor Over Clouds, Donatas Dabravolskas, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
 
In our secret yearnings
   we wait for your coming,
   and in our grinding despair
   we doubt that you will.

And in this privileged place
   we are surrounded by witnesses
      who yearn more than do we
    and by those
      who despair more deeply than do we.
Look upon your church and its pastors
    in this season of hope
    which runs so quickly to fatigue
    and this season of yearning
    which becomes so easily quarrelsome.
Give us the grace and the impatience
    to wait for you coming to the bottom of our toes,
    to the edges of our finger tips.
We do not want our several worlds to end.

Come in your power
    and come in your weakness
    in any case
    and make all things new.
Amen.

Walter Brueggemann 1933-2025 American Old Testament theologian
 
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I saw in the night visions,
    and behold, with the clouds of heaven
        there came one like a son of man,
    and he came to the Ancient of Days
        and was presented before him.
    And to him was given dominion
        and glory and a kingdom,
    that all peoples, nations, and languages
        should serve him;
    his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
        which shall not pass away,
    and his kingdom one
        that shall not be destroyed.

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O come, O come, Emmanuel

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
   Rejoice! Rejoice!
   Emmanuel
   shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.  

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Latin hymn from the 12th century

Isaiah 7:14 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and shall call his name Immanuel.
 

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prayer for young people

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

 
Father, we pray for young people growing up 
    in a difficult and dangerous world.
We pray for those who are unemployed,
    who have not worked since they left school and have never earned any money.
We pray for those who are taking their first steps in their skill, trade, or profession.
We pray for those who feel they have no support from the adults around them
    and who grow resentful at what they see to be their indifference.
We pray for those who are caught up in violence,
    either giving it or receiving it.
We pray for those who are morally confused and uncertain of what is right or wrong.
We pray for young Christians as they strive to live out their faith 
    in an unsympathetic world.
Father, you are head of all the family.
Hear our prayers in Jesus’ name.
 
Michael Walker, Baptist writer and lecturer
 
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You who are young, be happy while you are young,
    and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
    and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
    God will bring you into judgment.
So then, banish anxiety from your heart
    and cast off the troubles of your body,
    for youth and vigor are meaningless.
 

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things I know that I should not wish for

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
Do Not Covet (THE COMMANDMENTS)
image by loswl via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
 
Father, I know that I should not wish for my neighbor’s (nicer) house, 
    or my neighbor’s (more beautiful/ handsome) spouse.  
I must not think to myself that I should have anything belonging to someone else –
    not ever the smallest thing. Not even their dog.
 
In the other nine commandments you have forbidden 
    all injuries and evil practices against my neighbors.  
Now you charge me to beware of thinking any evil thoughts against them.
 
And for this reason I have great reason to praise you.  
You care about my home and everything I own, even my dog, 
    and you command everyone else never to wish they had all my things, 
    instead of me.
 
The apostle said we should be 
    “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 
It is true, and I find it true. 
In this way you care for us, and so you would have us care for one another.
 
But gracious Lord, I must confess that I have forgotten 
    and have broken this commandment, and I still do every day.  
I am wishing and coveting every minute of every hour.  
I could have been content, 
    but I have always thought my neighbor had too much, and I too little.  
And the dregs of these things, Lord, are not quite out of my heart.  
I deserve your severe justice.
 
But keep in mind the frailty of my flesh, 
    the corruptions of my nature, and the many temptations.  
Remember how I am able to do nothing of myself – 
    and how I would come to nothing if left to myself.  
Be merciful and pardon me in this way also, for the sake of your son. 
Amen.
 
John Bradford, 1510-1555, English reformer and martyr
 
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You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; 
you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, 
or his male servant, or his female servant, 
or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

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