It was good to gather on what was a blustery, wintry night to listen and pray together as we prepared to enter the second week of Advent, longing and waiting for true Peace. As we settle in, we begin shifting our gaze with a song before we listen to the text.
Barb shares her encounter with God with us.
The words of the opening song washed over me with a flood of memories.
“The Lord bless you and keep you,
make His face shine upon and be gracious to you,
the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
May His favor be upon you
and a thousand generations
and your family and your children
and their children and their children.”
I had worshipped with this ‘re-released’ ancient Aaronic priestly blessing as the pandemic swept
the world in 2020. My voice with millions of others agreed with God that He had been and
would be faithful.
Entering Advent 2024, this song once again filled me with Hope.
While Luke was read, I rested in Zechariah’s prophetic words to his infant son John,
“remembers His holy covenant”.
Those covenants started with Abraham and traveled 28 generations to Joseph!
My advent prayer formed, “I am dwelling with You in the confidence of your covenant keeping
character.”
+++
As you also pray with Zachariah’s song this week, may you have a sense of the Holy Spirit companioning you in prayer.
Luke 1:68-79 NRSV
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his child David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:68-79 Tree of Life Version
“Blessed be Adonai,
God of Israel,
for He has looked after His people
and brought them redemption.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ages past,
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us!
So He shows mercy to our fathers
and remembers His holy covenant,
the vow which He swore to Abraham
our father, to grant us—
rescued fearlessly from the hand of
our enemies—to serve Him,
in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
And you, child, will be called a prophet of Elyon.
For you will go before Adonai to prepare His ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to His people
through removal of their sins.
Through our God’s heart of mercy,
the Sunrise from on high will come upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet in the way of shalom.”
For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, a phrase, image, or feeling that ‘shimmered’ as you listened? Allow it to land in your heart. Stay with it. Savor it.
Reflect on what you heard. What effect does it have on you? What meaning does it hold for you? What does the Holy Spirit seem to be conveying to you? Talk it over in your prayer.
Perhaps you want to draw or color your prayer or journal the conversation.
As the time of prayer comes to a close, share some moments of quiet with Jesus, simply resting safely in his presence.
