Woe: Advent Daybook, 11

Take a few deep breaths, settle your body, mind, and heart into a quiet space and let’s begin with prayer.

Opening prayer: Heavenly Father, make me more like Jesus and more like the true self you’ve created as I savor your loving presence today. Please guide my thoughts and impressions by your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Look: A security guard walks by the rubble of a police station that was destroyed by bombardment, in Lysychansk, Ukraine. Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times - Source

Listen: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Bifrost Arts Music - Lyrics | Spotify | YouTube

Read: Psalm 38, 119:25-48; Isaiah 6:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; John 7:53-8:11

Excerpts:

"O Lord, all my longing is known to you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction, and my neighbors stand far off.

Those who seek my life lay their snares;  those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin and meditate on treachery all day long.

But I am like the deaf; I do not hear; like the mute, who cannot speak. Truly, I am like one who does not hear and in whose mouth is no retort.

But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer."

*

"Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise. Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust in your word."

*

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” And he said, “Go and say to this people:

‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes and listen with their ears and comprehend with their minds and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said, “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate; until the Lord sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land. Even if a tenth part remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains standing when it is felled.”
(The holy seed is its stump.)"

*

“This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in a fiery flame, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

*

“Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and, making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

- Psalm 38:9-15; Psalm 119:41-42; Isaiah 6:8-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-8; John 8:2-11

Pray: Book of Common Prayer, Prayers of the People (Form VI)

On Wednesdays, through Advent, we’ll practice an intercessory prayer method called “Prayers of the People.” This comprehensive format of call and response guides us through each sphere of our world with specific prayer. If you’re praying with a friend or family member, one of you can read the first part (the bidding) and one can read the second part (the response).

“In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.

Silence

For all people in their daily life and work; For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.

For this community, the nation, and the world; For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.

For the just and proper use of your creation; For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble; For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.

For the peace and unity of the Church of God; For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.

For our church leaders; and all other ministers; For all who serve God in his Church.

For the special needs and concerns of our congregation.

Silence

Add your own requests and petitions: ____________.

Hear us, Lord; For your mercy is great.

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.

Silence

Add your own thanksgivings: ________________.

We will exalt you, O God our King; And praise your Name for ever and ever.

We think of all who have died in Christ, and thank you that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.

Silence

Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them; Who put their trust in you.

We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.

Silence

Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; in your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone; and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Silence

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. Alleluia!”

Do: Give money to a relief effort for Ukraine.

Here's one suggestion: Ukraine Crisis Emergency Response.

*Sunday Scripture readings are taken from Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary. Daily Scripture readings are taken from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and include both Morning and Evening Psalms (Year 1).

Playlists for Advent

  • Because there are so many gorgeous songs about the Annunciation, I've created a special playlist for that theme: ANNUNCIATION.

  • Of the hundreds of playlists I've created on Spotify, this one has the most likes (over 1,600!): ADVENT INSTRUMENTAL.

See All Meditations from Advent Daybook 2022 here
Listen to Advent daybook 2022 playlist here
AdventTamara Hill MurphyAdvent Daybook 2022