Friday December 8, 2023

Today is Friday, December 8 and we are studying about the birth of the Prince of Peace.

As I enter this time of prayer, I still my mind, slow my breath and draw my heart near to God. As Christmas approaches, I prepare my soul and wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pause and Pray

Holy and loving God, I come here to listen for your voice speaking to me from the sacred words of the Holy Bible. Remind me of the truth of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and the promise of peace he brings to the world. Amen.

I praise God and seek his eternal truth in the ancient words of the prophet Isaiah.

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11

Pause and Pray

In the words of the Magnificat, Mary burst into song. She praises God for what he has done and praises God for what he will do. Her song tells us about the nature of God. He can and will intervene in the world. God will set things right, even if it means turning the power structures of the world upside down. There is a reversal in Mary’s song that pulls down the proud, mighty, rich and arrogant and lifts up the poor, forgotten, humble and lowly. The hungry are filled with good things and the rich are sent away empty. Mary’s song tells us who God is and what God will do.

“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. Luke 1:51-56

Mary’s song tells us who God is – God is merciful, strong, just and compassionate. Mary’s song tells us what God will do – God will set the world right. God’s purposes for the world will triumph. The ending is clear. God will set things right. Mary’s song begins with the vast subject of the entire world, but spins out to each individual including me. What Mary tells me is that God will intervene in my world and my circumstances. In the end, God will set things right for me too. I can trust God is with me and God is for me.

Ask: In what circumstances and situations would I like God’s help and intervention? For myself? For a friend or loved one?

Pause and Pray

God, you are holy, you are mighty and you are God. I pray for the humble poor, for the hungry, for those who need your help, and those who need your mercy. Show me how you want the world to be and invite me to participate in making the world a better place. I pray for your goodness to act in my life and I wait for your blessings. I read the words from Luke again and listen for the message you have for me.

“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. Luke 1:51-56

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

Mary’s song teaches me how to wait. Mary lives in-between the time of the angel’s promise and the fulfillment of that promise. It is a time of trusting in God. There is a promise of a birth, but the birth is not there yet. I live in the in-between times too. Where things are mostly good, but are still becoming, because God is not finished yet. I wait and I trust God. I wait alongside Mary for the fulfillment of God’s good promises for me, for those I love, and the broken, violent, dangerous world in which we live.

Pause and Pray

Come, Blessed Lord, teach me how to wait. Teach me how to trust you in the in-between times. Many things are good in this world, yet so much evil remains. Remind me how you are always at work, bringing everything together for good. Teach me how to wait in seasons of uncertainty, clinging onto the hope of your steadfast love. Amen.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6

As I leave this time of prayer, I wait for the God who loves me. I walk with confidence that he is actively working for good in my life and the world around me. I go to join him.

Amen