Advent, Day Seventeen

Advent, Day  Seventeen
At issue here is the question: "To whom do I belong? To God or to the world?" ...As long as I keep running about asking "Do you love me? Do you really love me?" I give all power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with "ifs." The words says" "Yes I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent and wealthy. I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much." There are endless "ifs" hidden inn the world's love. These "ifs" enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The world's love is and always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain "hooked" to the world--trying, failing and trying again.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
The Return of the Prodigal Son: The Story of Homecoming, pg_

Scripture:
¹⁵ See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. ¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, ¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.   Deuteronomy 30:15-18

 

First Presbyterian Church Advent - 2020

Prayer

 
A Prayer for the Least of These

Creator God,

Give me a heart that is compassionate for others, especially those people that the world ignores. Though they may look different from me or have different struggles,
they are a child of God, just like I am. Soften my heart, remove my cynicism.

Help me to hear the stories of my brothers and sisters and to treat them with dignity, compassion, and grace. I confess that sometimes I look past others instead of taking the time to enter into their pain and situation. Forgive me, God.

In a tangible way, help me to reflect the love of Jesus to people who are marginalized and forgotten. Give me grace, gentleness, wisdom, and mercy. Amen.

Scripture

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Luke 2:15-18