Advent, Day Fifteen

Advent, Day Fifteen
It is Advent again. In his sermon this morning, Oscar Uzin said, "Be alert, be alert, so that you will be able to recognize your Lord in your husband, your wife, your parents, your children, your friends, your teachers, but also in all that you read in the daily papers. The Lord is coming, always coming. Be alert to His coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
Gracias! A Latin American Journal, pg 57

Scripture:
³² “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard! Be alert^[a]! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.   Mark 13:32-36

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Book of Common Prayer

The Collect.

O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever,* one God, world without end. Amen.

 LET a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by my self*; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.  1 Corinthians 4:1-

NOW when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he whoso-ever shall not be offended in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.  Matthew 11:2-

 

First Presbyterian Church Advent - 2020

Prayer

 Father,

You are the creator of all relationships. You long for us to be in healthy, vibrant, safe, loving, trusting, honest, God-honoring relationships. As I continue to move through the Advent season, help me focus on giving more of myself to those I love instead of just mindlessly buying gifts at the store or online.

Sometimes I take the easy road. I purchase gifts without giving it much thought or intention. Help me this year to carve time out each day to prayerfully discern how I can invest creatively in relationships this season. Help me give more.

•     Give more of my time.
•     Give more of my heart.
•     Give more of my presence into the relationships that I need and that need me.

Remind me there is no present that can replace love expressed and time spent with someone I care about. Help me give more of the real me to those who love me. As I read these verses may Your words resonate deep in my soul:

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a
multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God
lives in us, and his love is made complete in us. – John 4:12

Help me give more love this Advent season. Lord, hear my prayer. Amen.

Scripture

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:8-12