Signs: Advent Daybook, 9
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 with your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Look: Departure, Agnes Pelton - Source | h/t: Biola University Advent Project
Listen: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, Phil Keaggy - Spotify | YouTube
Read: Psalm 25, 9, 15; Isaiah 5:8-12,18-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Luke 21:20-28
Excerpts:
“The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail; let the nations be judged before you. Put them in fear, O Lord; let the nations know that they are only human.”
Selah
*
“Woe to those who drag iniquity along with cords of falsehood, who drag sin along as with cart ropes, who say, “Let him make haste; let him speed his work that we may see it; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel hasten to fulfillment, that we may know it!” Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant at mixing drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of their rights!."
*
"For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him."
*
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
- Psalm 9:17-20; Isaiah 5:18-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-10; Luke 21:25-28
Pray: On Mondays during Advent we’ll practice a contemplative prayer method called "Centering Prayer."
Today's prayer word comes from Luke: "Raise your heads." This word will help call you back to interior silence when distractions arise.
Set your alarm for whatever time you have available (somewhere between 5 to 20 minutes).
Sit comfortably with your eyes closed as a sign of letting go of the world around you and making yourself available to God.
Introduce your word gently into your mind. As thoughts or other distractions arise, call to mind your word (always gently) and let it return you to interior silence. Remain here, open to God, until your alarm draws you from prayer.
When your alarm alerts you, begin to withdraw from prayer. Thank God for the time spent in prayer and let your mind, spirit, and body reacclimate to your surroundings.
Trust that God has heard your prayer and go forward into your day with peace.
Do: Today each time you go outside or look out a window, simply and thankfully repeat the word from your centering prayer: "Raise your heads"
*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).